When operating a BVM, pumping consistency is a major concern. If the technique is not performed properly throughout the duration of resuscitation, critical complications can occur, including hyperventilation [1]. It has been shown that many health care professionals lack either the skill or concentration to perform BVM resuscitation appropriately. In a study of 174 trained medical professionals, 88% of participants provided too much pressure, 73.8% delivered excessive volumes of air, and 49% performed the technique at too slow of a rate, which can cause hypoventilation [2]. Respiratory therapists at The Hospital for Sick Children revealed these inconsistencies are even more significant in high-stress situations, such as emergency paramedic dispatches.
Inconsistencies shown as part of this study [2]
[1] W. P. Weismann, “The Dangers of Bag Valve Devices,” Respiratory and Airway Management, BioSTAR Group, 2011. [Accessed: 1-Oct-2019]
[2] M. A. Bassani, F. M. Filho, M. R. D. C. Coppo, and S. T. M. Marba, “An Evaluation of Peak Inspiratory Pressure, Tidal Volume, and Ventilatory Frequency During Ventilation With a Neonatal Self-Inflating Bag Resuscitator,” Respiratory Care, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 525–530, Jan. 2012.
AIR in the News
In mid-April, AIR had the opportunity to talk about its progress, the need for additional resources, and plan for the future in an interview with CTV Kitchener. Check out the clip below:
Sponsors and Consultants
A sincere thank you goes out to our sponsors and Industry consultants for this project. Without their valuable support, the work we are doing at AIR would not be possible.
Financial Sponsors
The Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo provides each fourth-year team funding based on the number of group members. As a group of four, we receive up to $600 and access to all of the University's lab resources.
A generous financial contribution of $2000 was provided by Baylis Medical after team AIR competed at, and won, a pitch competition presented by the company.
Industry Consultants
Invaluable information for the function and design of AIR was provided by consulting the Respiratory Therapy division at the Hospital for Sick Children. These in-person visits by members of our team allowed us to obtain critical knowledge from some of the worlds leading experts.
Recommended to us by SickKids, the Respiratory Therapy program at Conestoga College has provided us with further insights about the requirements of our design. They have also provided us with testing equipment for volume and pressure measurements which have proved to be very useful (see here).
The initial concept for AIR was generated after speaking to paramedics about their first-hand experience with various pieces of equipment. The impact this device could have on first responders has been a continuing topic of research, with our team regularly meeting with an active paramedic for vital information and advise.
