Which of the following is NOT a potential complication from bag-valve mask ventilation?

Which of the following is NOT a potential complication from bag-valve mask ventilation?

• A. Bronchoconstriction
• B. Gastric Distension
• C. Aspiration
• D. Barotrauma

Answer: (A)

Bag-valve mask ventilation uses positive pressure to inflate the chest, so the main risks come from that pressure being transmitted to structures outside the lungs. Air can be driven into the stomach, causing gastric distension, which raises the chance of vomiting and aspiration. If the pressures used are too high, you can cause barotrauma, leading to lung injury or even pneumothorax. These are well-established complications of positive-pressure ventilation when not applied carefully. Bronchoconstriction, on the other hand, is not a direct result of the BVM technique itself. It’s more related to underlying airway reactivity or irritants and would be managed with appropriate bronchodilator therapy and airway care, not as a direct complication produced by the act of bagging.

Bag-valve mask ventilation uses positive pressure to inflate the chest, so the main risks come from that pressure being transmitted to structures outside the lungs. Air can be driven into the stomach, causing gastric distension, which raises the chance of vomiting and aspiration. If the pressures used are too high, you can cause barotrauma, leading to lung injury or even pneumothorax. These are well-established complications of positive-pressure ventilation when not applied carefully.

Bronchoconstriction, on the other hand, is not a direct result of the BVM technique itself. It’s more related to underlying airway reactivity or irritants and would be managed with appropriate bronchodilator therapy and airway care, not as a direct complication produced by the act of bagging.