Podcast 808: BVM and PEEP Valve

<p><strong>Contributor: Dylan Luyten, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) is positive pressure within the lungs and maintained throughout the entire respiratory cycle. It is the pressure preventing alveoli from collapsing at the en</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">d of exhalation. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">When using a bag valve mask (BVM) to ventilate patients, always attach the PEEP valve to prevent intrathoracic pressure from returning to atmospheric pressure which would allow alveoli collapse. </span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">  </span></em></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">A</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">BVM with a good seal to patients face and with an attached PEEP valve provides the same support as BiPAP or CPAP.  </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">A generally acceptable PEEP setting is 5 cmH</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">2</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;">O. </span></li> </ul> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mora Carpio AL, Mora JI. Positive End-Expiratory Pressure. In:</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">StatPearls</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; August 27, 2021.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /> <br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison MJ. PEEP and CPAP.</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Br Med J (Clin Res Ed)</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. 1986;292(6521):643-644. doi:10.1136/bmj.292.6521.643</span><span style= "font-weight: 400;"><br /> <br /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Summarized by Kirsten Hughes, MS4 | Edited by John Spartz, MD & Erik Verzemnieks, MD</span></em></p> <p