Initial Survey of Respiratory Mechanics During Prehospital Bag Ventilation

Introduction: Respiratory mechanics, such as tidal volume and inspiratory pressures, affect outcome in hospitalized patients with respiratory failure. The ability to accurately measure respiratory mechanics in the prehospital setting is limited, thus the relationship between prehospital respiratory mechanics and clinical outcome is not well understood. In this feasibility study, we examined respiratory mechanics of bag-valve mask (BVM) ventilation by emergency medical services (EMS) using a novel in-line measuring device during a period when agencies switched from larger to smaller ventilation bags. Methods: This prospective cohort study included a convenience sample of adult patients who received BVM ventilation by EMS, from August 2018 to January 2020, in Bellevue, Washington. The airway monitoring device was applied by paramedics after intubation to passively record in black box mode, until termination of efforts or hospital arrival. Respiratory parameters included tidal volume, airway pressure, flow rates, end-tidal carbon dioxide, and respiratory rate. Prehospital agencies transitioned from large (1500 mL) to small (1000 mL) ventilation bags during the study period. Results: 7371 post-intubation breaths were measured in 54 patients, 32 treated for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and 22 treated for non-arrest conditions, primarily respiratory etiology. EMS ventilated 19 patients with a small bag and 35 patients with a large bag. Ventilation with a smaller bag was characterized by less variability in tidal volumes and higher proportion of breaths delivered within 4-10 mL/kg of predicted body weight (Figure) (p<0.05). Conclusions: Respiratory mechanics can be measured in EMS patients receiving BVM ventilation following intubation. Ventilation with a smaller bag might reduce variation in tidal volume, but further study is needed. These data provide the first evaluation of respiratory mechanics during manual ventilation provided by EMS.