 Videos

Pocket mask ventilation animated demonstration

Equipment needed

The equipment for this procedure includes:

• Pocket mask apparatus.

Use the following equipment if you are in a hospital or clinic:

• Personal protective equipment, including gloves

• Oxygen

• Suction

• Oropharyngeal airway (have available to use if needed)

• Nasopharyngeal airway (have available to use if needed)

• Resuscitation equipment.

Contraindications

Complete upper airway obstruction (e.g., laryngospasm, foreign body).

Indications

A patient who is unresponsive, with inadequate or no spontaneous breathing, and who cannot maintain his or her own airway.

Complications

Difficulty maintaining an adequate seal around the pocket mask; for example, if the patient has a beard or if the patient is large and the clinician has small hands. A large leak round the edge of the pocket mask will cause hypoventilation of the airway.[176]Calder I, Pearce A, eds. Core topics in airway management. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2011. 

Aftercare

Continue to resuscitate the patient in keeping with life support guidelines, using ABCDE principles.[177]Soar J, Böttiger BW, Carli P, et al. European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: Adult advanced life support. Resuscitation. 2021 Apr;161:115-51. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33773825?tool=bestpractice.com  Send for assistance as soon as possible.

Regularly reassess the patient to see if he or she regains control of the airway. If resuscitation is successful, continue to assess the patient in case he or she deteriorates.