Effectiveness of various airway management techniques in a bench model simulating a cardiac arrest patient

The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of lung and gastric tida l volumes paramedics achieve when performing ventilation with bag-valve-mas k, laryngeal mask, and Combitube. Twenty paramedics performed ventilation w ith a bag-valve mask, laryngeal mask, and Combitube in a bench model simula ting an unintubated cardiorespiratory arrest patient, Lung and gastric tida l volumes and lung and gastric peak airway pressures were subsequently meas ured. The results showed that mean +/- SEM lung tidal volumes were signific antly higher with the laryngeal mask and Combitube compared to the bag-valv e-mask (701 +/- 264 vs. 742 +/- 311 vs. 353 +/- 110 mL, respectively). No g astric inflation occurred with the Combitube; gastric inflation was signifi cantly lo,ver with the laryngeal mask compared to the bag-valve-mask (25 +/ - 15 vs. 230 +/- 25mL,respectively). Both the laryngeal mask and Combitube proved to be valid alternatives for bag-valve-mask ventilation in our bench model simulating an unintubated patient with cardiorespiratory arrest. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc.