Which oxygen delivery device must have a tight seal and is used only on spontaneously breathing patients?

Which oxygen delivery device must have a tight seal and is used only on spontaneously breathing patients?

• A. Partial Re-Breather
• B. Non Re-Breather
• C. Bag Valve Mask
• D. Oropharyngeal Airway

Answer: (B)

The main idea is delivering the highest oxygen concentration to a patient who is breathing on their own, which requires a device that forms a tight seal around the face. The non-rebreather mask does this best: it has a reservoir bag and one-way valves that prevent exhaled air from entering the bag, so inhaled gas comes mostly from the reservoir. As long as the seal is tight and the bag stays inflated, the patient inhales nearly pure oxygen, making it ideal for spontaneously breathing patients who need a high FiO2. It’s intended for use when the patient is breathing on their own and does not require assisted ventilation. If the patient needs help breathing or you need to deliver breaths, a bag-valve-mask is used, since it can provide positive pressure ventilation. The other options don’t fit the same purpose: a partial rebreather doesn’t prevent all exhaled gas from entering the breathing circuit, so FiO2 isn’t as high; an oropharyngeal airway isn’t an oxygen delivery device at all and is used to maintain airway patency; and a bag-valve-mask can be used with or without spontaneous breathing and is not limited to patients who are simply breathing on their own.

The main idea is delivering the highest oxygen concentration to a patient who is breathing on their own, which requires a device that forms a tight seal around the face. The non-rebreather mask does this best: it has a reservoir bag and one-way valves that prevent exhaled air from entering the bag, so inhaled gas comes mostly from the reservoir. As long as the seal is tight and the bag stays inflated, the patient inhales nearly pure oxygen, making it ideal for spontaneously breathing patients who need a high FiO2.

It’s intended for use when the patient is breathing on their own and does not require assisted ventilation. If the patient needs help breathing or you need to deliver breaths, a bag-valve-mask is used, since it can provide positive pressure ventilation. The other options don’t fit the same purpose: a partial rebreather doesn’t prevent all exhaled gas from entering the breathing circuit, so FiO2 isn’t as high; an oropharyngeal airway isn’t an oxygen delivery device at all and is used to maintain airway patency; and a bag-valve-mask can be used with or without spontaneous breathing and is not limited to patients who are simply breathing on their own.