Efficacy of ventilation and ventilation adjuncts during in-water-resuscitation
Winkler BE, et al
Resuscitation, 2013
This was a randomized trial performed to evaluate the effectiveness of in-water resuscitation using different airway adjuncts. This study has many weaknesses, but overall it is always exciting to see randomized trials being conducted within the open water lifesaving community. Here is a synopsis of the study and its findings:
- Study design
- 19 lifeguards participated
- Each performed 4 rescues in randomized order
- No ventilations
- Ventilation with mouth-to-mouth
- Ventilation with bag valve mask
- Ventilation with laryngeal tube (supraglottic device)
- Each rescue was 100 meters
- Manikin with measurement capabilities used
- Ventilation performed every 10 seconds
- Measurements
- Rescue Time: from time of obtaining manikin to crossing finish line
- Number of manikin submersions
- Tidal volume and minute volume
- Aspirated lung fluid in manikin
- Subjective difficulty per rescuer
- Results
- Rescue times longer when ventilations performed
- More submersions occurred when ventilations performed
- Increased aspiration with mouth-to-mouth and bag-valve mask
- Highest tidal volumes with laryngeal mask
- Lowest with bag-valve
- Laryngeal mask had stable tidal volumes
- Adequate minute ventilations with mouth-to-mouth and bag-valve
Source:
Winkler BE, et al. Efficacy of ventilation and ventilation adjuncts during in-water-resuscitation–a randomized cross-over trial. Resuscitation; 2013.