What is a pocket mask?
Pocket mask is used to give breaths to a person who is not breathing or not breathing enough. It can be, for example, in the event of a cardiac arrest when performing CPR or in the event of a drowning when a person has stopped breathing.
This is how a pocket mask works
A pocket mask often comes folded in either a hard plastic case or a stiff cloth bag. It has a part that you put against the patient that is supposed to cover the nose and mouth and a part that sticks out where the person who is going to give the inhalations can blow in air. These often have a non-return valve, i.e. the person who is supposed to give breaths can blow air in, but no air comes back. This is an important part of the function as it thus minimizes the risk of infection from airborne infectious agents. There are pocket masks with a so-called O2 nipple, to which you can connect oxygen from an oxygen bottle. Oxygen is a medical gas and can only be prescribed by a doctor or can be given by other staff if they have a delegation from a doctor to give this.
How to use a pocket mask
The pocket mask has a larger part and a smaller part. The larger part has a bit of a triangle shape. The lower straight part should be placed just under the lower lip of the patient and then folded down so that it also covers the nose. You keep it in place best by sitting behind the patient. Place both hands on either side of the face and grasp around the jaws with your fingers, then move the index fingers up so they are on the bottom edge of the pocket mask and place the thumbs at the side of the nose. It's usually easiest to cross your fingers. Now you should have the mask in place. You then blow in air through the pipe that sticks out, let the lung collapse and then you can repeat your inhalation.
How to clean the pocket mask
Most pocket masks are reusable and the various parts are best cleaned with a bath with detergent and water and the parts that can be wiped off with surface disinfection.
Various manufacturers
There are several different manufacturers of pocket masks. The ones we have noticed are of high quality are those from Laerdal and those from Ambu.
