In general, bag valve mask ventilation only requires one provider. A second provider can help squeeze the bag while the primary provider holds the mask seal.

An oropharyngeal airway may be inserted in order to displace the tongue forward. This prevents the occlusion of the airway when the patient is laying supine. The only true contraindication to using it is if the patient has a gag reflex. The airway can be inserted directly or rotated 90 or 180 degrees in order to facilitate placement behind the tongue.

A nasopharyngeal airway can be inserted to enable ventilation via BVM to reach the posterior pharynx in the case of a large tongue or other obstruction. It is contraindicated in the case of facial trauma where there is a concern for a facial fracture due to the possibility of it violating the intracranial space. The airway can be inserted with the bevel towards the septum, after appropriate lubrication, and rotated as needed to extend to the posterior pharynx. The use of either of these basic airway adjuncts facilitates ventilating a patient by maintaining a patent airway.

The rescuer should be positioned at the patient’s head. A good face seal must be achieved with the mask over the face, the pointed end of the mask over the nose, and the curved end below the lower lip. A one-person technique involves the "E-C seal" in which your first and second digits form a "C" over the mask with your thumb pressing down by the nasal bridge, your second digit over the bottom of the mask by the mouth, and your third through fifth digits forming an "E" and applying pressure to the mandible to hold the mask tight. There should be no gaps between the mask and the skin. You can also tilt the head backward in a “head-tilt chin lift” maneuver or can displace the jaw forward to do a “jaw-thurst” if indicated to open the airway. This often provides for easier ventilation.

In a two-person technique, someone else squeezes the bag while the rescuer uses the same E-C technique with both hands. This has been shown to deliver a higher tidal volume in simulations and also allows for a better seal to be created. One must be careful to ensure that the soft tissue of the neck is not compressed by the rescuer's fingers.

Positioning the patient can improve the ability to ventilate. Utilizing the sniffing position, with the ear to sternal notch aligned in the same plane, optimizes conditions for airflow. Utilizing a mask a size larger than expected may help create a seal, but a smaller mask is more likely to lead to a leak.[5][6][7]

An adult BVM with oxygen supplied at a minimum of 15 liters per minute and a full reservoir can provide up to 1.5 liters of oxygen delivered per breath. Ventilating should be done with caution and only until chest rise is appreciated to reduce the risk of gastric insufflation, possibly causing vomiting and barotrauma from overdistention.

The complications include barotrauma from too much lung inflation and gastric insufflation which can lead to vomiting and aspiration.

The routine use of cricoid pressure during BVM ventilation and endotracheal intubation was initially standard practice but has never routinely been shown to improve patient-oriented outcomes. Its original purpose was to occlude the esophagus and prevent gastric regurgitation and thus aspiration. Some studies have shown it has displaced the esophagus, rather than occluding it. Others have shown that it is incompletely occluded depending on the amount of force applied. Further studies have shown it inhibits laryngeal view during intubation.[8][9][10]

BVM ventilation can be aided by the use of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) valve attached and titrated from 5 to 15 cm H2O in order to improve oxygenation prior to intubation in patients who are unable to be appropriately pre-oxygenated with standard therapy. Do not exceed a PEEP of 20 cm H2O on a BVM as this pressure can open the lower esophageal sphincter and cause gastric insufflation and vomiting.

Low pressure, low volume insufflation can help prevent gastric distention.

Some BVMs have the ability to attach a filter for pathogens. However, these devices are not foolproof, and personal protective equipment is required for every patient contact.

Likewise, the adapter for the BVM can fit an end-tidal monitor or a nebulizer reservoir. This allows additional functioning of the BVM. If the seal with the face is inadequate, this does limit the utility of these devices, as the end-tidal reading will be inaccurate and the nebulized medications may leak out.

Bag-mask ventilation is a very useful technique when encountering patients in respiratory distress. the technique is commonly used by EMS, anesthesiologist, ICU nurses, respiratory therapists, and intensivists. The technique can be life-saving and is relatively much easier than intubation. When done well, the patient can be oxygenated until an anesthesiologist can intubate the patient. an interprofessional approach will provide the best care for the patient. [Level V]