# Non-rebreather vs. BVM



## Jasmine (Mar 2, 2016)

What are the key differences or when do you use a non rebreather vs a bag valve mask for ventilation on a patient?


----------



## Flying (Mar 2, 2016)

Non-rebreather masks are not used for ventilation, they only really deliver oxygen if the person is already ventilating (breathing).

ventilations -> mechanically moving air


----------



## Jasmine (Mar 2, 2016)

Flying said:


> Non-rebreather masks are not used for ventilation.


so non-rebreathers are used for patients who are currently breathing and BVM are used for physical ventilations, basically your breathing for the patient


----------



## Flying (Mar 2, 2016)

BVMs are just there to force gas in. I don't like the phrase "breathing for the patient", that's what ventilators do.

With the BVM you only perform part of the breathing cycle, the rebound of the patient's intercostal muscles and diaphragm do the rest of the work in exhalation.
That's why we generally equate adequate BVM breaths with chest rise and fall.

I'm being picky, you're right.


----------



## Jasmine (Mar 2, 2016)

okay thanks !


----------



## ThadeusJ (Mar 2, 2016)

Also remember that non-rebreathers deliver about 60-85% oxygen and BVM's can deliver 100%.  Because BVM's are more for CO2 removal, they can work perfectly fine without an oxygen source.  

To clarify the above statement, BVM's do breathe for the patient as they are also known as manual resuscitators or manual ventilators. Mechanical ventilators (while fancy on breath delivery) also require the natural elastic recoil of the chest and lungs for exhalation.  Ventilators don't "suck" the air back out of the lungs. All you can control is the inhalation aspect of the respiratory cycle. Non-rebreathers are only oxygen delivery devices.


----------



## Flying (Mar 2, 2016)

Thanks for the correction.


----------



## nater (Mar 6, 2016)

They are most commonly used in the NICU, but oscillator vents do allow for active exhalation.


----------



## Carlos Danger (Mar 6, 2016)

nater said:


> They are most commonly used in the NICU, but oscillator vents do allow for active exhalation.


Eh, sort of but not really. In fact there is almost no inhalation or exhalation at all with HFOV.


----------

