Bag valve resuscitator versus Mapleson C circuit during manual ventilation: A bench top study

Manual ventilation is life saving in critically ill patients. The lack of airway pressure monitoring makes it operator and device dependent. In this bench top-study, we compared a self- inflating bag valve resuscitator and a Mapleson C circuit during manual ventilation performed by critical care nurses under normal and pathologic conditions, with a special focus on delivered positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). Three different respiratory patterns (normal, restrictive and obstructive) were reproduced by a breathing simulator. Twenty nurses provided manual ventilation with a specific ventilatory pattern. Airway pressure, tidal volume and respiratory rate were recorded. Absolute value, error (difference between recorded and target values) and variability of PEEP were analysed. 3820 breathing traces were analysed. PEEP error was significantly higher with Mapelson C (43.3% vs 5.9% respectively, p