EMS Portable Ventilator Management

Excerpt

Although emergency medical services are known to adopt many innovative procedures and treatments, manual ventilation with a bag-valve-mask device remains the standard of care throughout the US. This method requires the dedication of a team member and provides inconsistent respiratory rates and tidal volumes. The benefits of mechanical ventilation are well-known in the hospital setting, and portable devices are available at a relatively low cost. A 2022 National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians (NAEMSP) position statement urges greater prehospital mechanical ventilation adoption. While many reasons may prevent ventilator adoption, unfamiliarity with respiratory physiology likely prevents many clinicians from advocating for ventilator use. According to the US National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) public research dataset, the use of ventilators by emergency medical services during intubations is only 1%.