Basic Airway Management
Two person technique
The biggest challenge in bag-mask ventilation is maintaining an open
airway and a tight seal using one hand. If a second person is available,
it is recommended that one person manages the mask and the airway,
while the second person squeezes the bag to ventilate the chest. The
person responsible for the mask stands at the head of the bed and
places his thumbs on the top surface of the mask. The remaining fingers
are then used to grip the mandible on either side. The mask is squeezed
between the thumbs and the fingers to create a seal and at the same
time the mandible is elevated to open the airway. This technique is
considerably easier, but again, the physicians must be constantly
checking that air is flowing easily into the patient and that the chest
is rising and falling.