<P> A bag valve mask , abbreviated to BVM and sometimes known by the proprietary name Ambu bag or generically as a manual resuscitator or `` self - inflating bag '' , is a hand - held device commonly used to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients who are not breathing or not breathing adequately . The device is a required part of resuscitation kits for trained professionals in out - of - hospital settings ( such as ambulance crews ) and is also frequently used in hospitals as part of standard equipment found on a crash cart , in emergency rooms or other critical care settings . Underscoring the frequency and prominence of BVM use in the United States , the American Heart Association ( AHA ) Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care recommend that `` all healthcare providers should be familiar with the use of the bag - mask device . '' Manual resuscitators are also used within the hospital for temporary ventilation of patients dependent on mechanical ventilators when the mechanical ventilator needs to be examined for possible malfunction , or when ventilator - dependent patients are transported within the hospital . Two principal types of manual resuscitators exist ; one version is self - filling with air , although additional oxygen ( O ) can be added but is not necessary for the device to function . The other principal type of manual resuscitator ( flow - inflation ) is heavily used in non-emergency applications in the operating room to ventilate patients during anesthesia induction and recovery . </P>
when can a bvm ( bag-valve-mask ) be used
to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients who are not breathing or not breathing adequately