Artificial Respiration - Insufflations

Insufflations

Insufflation, also known as 'rescue breaths' or 'ventilations', is the act of mechanically forcing air into a patient's respiratory system. This can be achieved via a number of methods, which will depend on the situation and equipment available. All methods require good airway management to perform, which ensures that the method is effective. These methods include:

• Mouth to mouth - This involves the rescuer making a seal between their mouth and the patient's mouth and 'blowing', to pass air into the patient's body
• Mouth to nose - In some instances, the rescuer may need or wish to form a seal with the patient's nose. Typical reasons for this include maxillofacial injuries, performing the procedure in water or the remains of vomit in the mouth
• Mouth to mouth and nose - Used on infants (usually up to around 1 year old), as this forms the most effective seal
• Mouth to mask – Most organisations recommend the use of some sort of barrier between rescuer and patient to reduce cross infection risk. One popular type is the 'pocket mask'. This may be able to provide higher tidal volumes than a Bag Valve Mask.
• Bag valve mask (BVM) - This is a simple device manually operated by the rescuer, which involves squeezing a bag to expel air into the patient.
• Mechanical resuscitator - An electric unit designed to breathe for patients