Ventilation volumes with different self-inflating bags with reference to the ERC guidelines for airway management: comparison of two compression techniques

Abstract

The 1998 ERC-guidelines for airway-management recommend an tidal volume of 400–600 ml for adults undergoing CPR. As commercially available self-inflating bags were designed to meet former recommendations (800–1200 ml) we investigated how to meet the latest recommendations with these bags. We combined the head of a training manikin (Laerdal Medical) and a standard lung (VTTL™; Michigan Instrument), adjusted to a physiological compliance and resistance. Volume was measured with a Wright spirometer (BOC). Seven self-inflating bags were investigated. Tests were carried out by ten people (five female and five male) for 5 min each using two different techniques. Technique 1: standard ventilation with one hand without compression of the self-inflating bag against the rescuers knee. Technique 2: modified open palm technique with total squeezing of the self-inflating bag by compression against the rescuers knee. The average tidal volumes for technique 1 ranged from 438 to 604 ml. Applying technique 2 the volumes ranged from 888 to 1192 ml. The latest recommendations were met using a single hand technique without compression against the rescuers knee for all seven bags tested. The modified open palm technique produced larger tidal volumes which were more in line with previous recommendations.