The adult ergonomic face mask concept: historical and theoretical perspectives.
The fundamental skill required of the anesthesiologist and rescuer is to treat upper airway obstruction and maintain adequate ventilation. Adult one-hand face mask ventilation is a complex technique, often applied with suboptimal results. The adult face mask in use today was not designed for one-handed ventilation but inherited its features from the 19(th) century face piece. The airway maneuver used with one-handed ventilation is not standardized. An ergonomic face mask has an asymmetrical dome that accommodates the hand grip required for chin lift and may be better for one-hand ventilation. The historical and theoretical considerations patent to the design and technique of the ergonomic face mask are reviewed.
Matioc
Adrian A
AA
Department of Anesthesiology, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI 53705, USA. adrian.matioc@va.gov
D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000628:therapy; D004867:Equipment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D017214:Laryngeal Masks / Q000266:history; D008397:Masks / Q000266:history; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation