• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.99-109
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• 2017

Purpose: There is no recommended bag-squeezing technique for emergency medical providers to maintain correct tidal volume during mechanical ventilation. This study compared the tidal volume of two different bag-squeezing techniques during mechanical ventilation. Methods: The subjects were 38 paramedic students who were trained in airway management techniques. Two different bag-squeezing techniques were used with a bag valve mask on an intubated manikin: a conventional technique and a finger-marked, in which the bag is squeezed until the thumb and the middle finger come into contact. Hand size and grip strength were measured and analyzed statistically. Results: The mean tidal volumes for the finger-marked were significantly higher than those for the conventional technique ($542.6{\pm}35.92mL$ versus $338.0{\pm}111.15 mL$, p<.001). There was a correlation between the two techniques (Pearson $x^2=1.160$, p<.001). The subject's characteristics, including sex, hand size, and grip strength, showed no correlation with tidal volume. Conclusion: A finger-marked bag-squeezing technique provides adequate and correct tidal volumes during mechanical ventilation.