Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- How Does a Pocket Mask Work?
- When Using a Pocket Mask Where Should The Rescuer Be Positioned?
- How to Use a Pocket Mask Alone?
- Pocket Mask Rescuer Position: A Key to Effective CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases the chances of a person’s survival to a great extent. It involves using some key tools to help rescuers provide proper resuscitation. You can also use a pocket mask to provide safe and adequate ventilation. This tool is beneficial for maintaining oxygen flow to the patient’s lungs. As the demand for pocket masks grows, their market size is expected to expand to over $19.85 billion by 2029. However, you must also know how to use the tool to ensure patient care. Let’s discuss these functionalities and learn more about a pocket mask rescuer position in detail below.
How Does a Pocket Mask Work?
A pocket mask, or a resuscitation mask, is a device that helps you create an airtight seal over the patient’s mouth and nose. Some of these tools feature a one-way valve that allows air to flow into the person’s lungs while keeping you physically separated from air, vomit, spit, blood, or other fluids.
Other pocket masks have a dome shape and a tube to deliver rescue breaths. All these masks help prevent the transmission of viruses, bacteria, and diseases during the procedure.
Healthcare professionals must know where to position the rescuer when using a pocket mask. They must also understand the different types of masks available from various suppliers. For instance, you may find CPR pocket masks for infants, children, and adults. These masks can quickly fit different patient sizes to ensure the rescuer can deliver effective CPR with an airtight seal.
Pocket masks help provide an unobstructed view of the patient’s color, which indicates the respiratory support’s effectiveness. During this time, any blockages in the person’s airway can be easily identified. Most pocket masks have integrated oxygen intake tubes, allowing for the delivery of oxygen.
Read More: Chance of Survival with CPR: What You Need to Know in an Emergency
When Using a Pocket Mask, Where Should The Rescuer Be Positioned?
For every minute without CPR, the chances of surviving a witnessed ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest drop by 7–10%. With proper positioning, any rescuer can maximize the chances of reviving a patient in a cardiac arrest emergency. Expert guidelines for using pocket masks aim to optimize these outcomes.
The following points discuss where should rescuers be positioned with pocket masks in detail:
Kneel Beside the Victim
The rescuer must kneel beside the victim’s chest instead of standing above their head. This positioning allows the professional to provide rescue breaths effectively through the mask without blocking the patient’s airway or applying pressure to the abdomen.
Kneeling beside the patient offers several advantages over standing above their head. For instance, it provides the rescuer with a stable base of support to compress and ventilate the victim. Kneeling is also less tiring than standing during CPR administration.
This pocket mask rescuer position avoids blocking the patient’s airway or applying pressure to the abdomen, which could inhibit compressions or breathing. Conversely, straddling the victim could cause injury.
A pocket mask provides ample space for the rescuer to position the victim’s head tilt and chin lift without any obstruction. This optimizes the mask’s seal and the effectiveness of breaths. It further enables the rescuer to monitor the victim’s chest rise during ventilations to check for obstructions, improving the quality of rescue breathing and the patient’s safety.
Face the Victim’s Head
The rescuer can face the patient’s head directly to administer breaths with a pocket mask. This position has several benefits, as it allows the professional to efficiently perform the head-tilt or chin-lift maneuver with both hands, which is beneficial for opening the person’s blocked airway.
Facing the victim’s head also provides direct insight into the pocket mask, enabling the rescuer to monitor chest rise and ensure the mask is sealed appropriately over the patient’s face with each breath.
This position facilitates adequate two-handed ventilation with the pocket mask using direct visualization. One hand of the rescuer can hold the patient’s head tilted while the other presses the mask to deliver breaths. If rescuers face the victim directly during rescue breaths, they are less likely to bump the victim’s head or mask out of position. The rescuer’s face should ideally be oriented directly over and in line with the victim’s face or head for optimal control, visibility, and breath delivery.
How to Use a Pocket Mask Alone?
Most pocket masks are equipped with a strap around the casualty’s head. This feature is beneficial when performing CPR alone and providing chest compressions. Although the ideal pocket mask rescuer position involves two individuals, a person can perform the procedure alone in emergencies. The steps include:
Step 1: Open the Pocket Mask for Usage
Remove the mask from its packaging and pop it out to form its dome shape. Place the mask strap around the victim’s head, ensuring the surroundings are safe.
Step 2: Position Yourself and the Mask
Place the lowest edge of the pocket or resuscitation mask between the lower lip and the chin. Position the pointed side of the mask over the nose. Press the edges of the mask firmly onto the victim’s face with your hands to create a perfect seal.
Step 3: Check Other Vitals of the Patient
Use a head tilt or jaw thrust to ensure the patient’s airway is open. You may need to provide rescue breaths by breathing into the tube. Watch for the person’s chest to rise and fall before delivering the second breath. Leave the mask in place while continuing chest compressions.
Step 4: Repeat the Procedure If Needed
Readjust the pocket mask if necessary before providing rescue breaths to the patient again. Repeat this process as required, giving rescue breaths through the one-way valve. Blow enough air to make the chest rise, then remove your mouth from the valve to allow the patient to exhale the ventilated air. If you hear gurgling or observe fluids in the airway, roll the patient onto their side and remove the mask.
Read More: How Long to Perform CPR?
Pocket Mask Rescuer Position: A Key to Effective CPR
Pocket masks are a key tool for first aiders and responders in resuscitating patients who have stopped breathing. Proper use of this tool can help prevent the spread of bacteria or viruses during mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and improve the hygiene of the resuscitation process. If you are a healthcare professional, you must know the pocket mask rescuer position to help patients in emergencies. Consider doing an ACLS certification to learn more about this key tool and its role in providing safe and adequate ventilation to patients.
References
- https://heartstartcpr.net/when-using-a-pocket-mask-where-should-the-rescuer-be-positioned/#:~:text=Optimal%20rescuer%20position%20when%20using,both%20parties%20during%20rescue%20efforts.
- https://www.penghudaily.com.tw/post/when-using-pocket-mask-where-should-the-rescuer-be
- https://alliedusa.net/things-you-need-to-know-about-pocket-resuscitation-masks/
- https://www.australiawidefirstaid.com.au/resources/how-to-use-a-pocket-mask
