Sustained inflations: Comparing three neonatal resuscitation devices

Abstract

Background: Some national resuscitation guidelines advocate using sustained initial inflations (2-3 s) for babies requiring resuscitation. Inflation times ≥10 s have been used for preterm infants. Objectives: This study examines the ability of operators of varying experience to provide a sustained inflation using three different manual ventilation devices. Methods: We compared a self-inflating bag, a flow-inflating bag and a pressure-limited T-piece device. Fifty clinical staff members from five professional groups gave a sustained inflation with a target peak pressure of 30 cm H 2O and target duration of 10 s to an internal leak-free manikin. We measured peak inflating pressure (PIP) and me..