Resuscitators are devices used to fill in the lungs with air in a person who is unconscious and not breathing in order to keep him/her alive. Resuscitators use positive pressure to make the patient who has compromised breathing to respire manually. Due to their natural elasticity lungs expel the air pumped in. These devices are used temporarily until the person is transferred to a ventilator. Resuscitators are effective for emergency treatment as they are small in size. Some simple resuscitators are also available as a part of first aid kits for use in case there is a respiratory failure. There are resuscitation devices designed for kids as well. These devices come with a pop off valve. When the pressure goes above a limit the valve allows the air to escape preventing any damage to the child’s lungs. There are three main types of resuscitation devices viz. BVM Resuscitator, Gas powered resuscitator, and Breath powered resuscitator. These devices may be disposable or reusable and are generally made out of plastic or silicone.

HPFY offers a variety of resuscitators from manufacturers like Teleflex, Cardinal Health and Smiths Medical at attractive discounts on disposable and reusable resuscitators.

Types of Resuscitators

Manual Resuscitators

These are portable devices used for emergency purposes. They also come with some first aid kits and can be easily used by anyone. There are two types of manual resuscitators:

1. BVM resuscitators

BVM is an acronym for bag valve mask. In this the bag is like a bulb that pumps in fresh air into the lungs, the valve regulates the flow of air into the lungs and maintains a steady rate. The mask channels the air into the lungs not allowing it to escape like the Hudson RCI Lifesaver Disposable Manual Resuscitator Bag. This type of resuscitator type can also be converted into a gas powered one by connecting it to a tank.

2. Breath-powered resuscitator

These type of devices only contain a mask and a tube that protrudes out from the mask. The rescuer needs to breathe in oxygenated air into the tube which goes directly to the patient. This type of resuscitator is very inexpensive but is the least effective one. For example the CareFusion AirLife Adult Mouth-To-Mask Resuscitator.

Gas-powered resuscitators

These type of resuscitators provide oxygen to breathless patients instead of human intervention. The unit containing oxygen delivers the required oxygen into the endotracheal tubes of the person. These units often contain a demand mode option that supplies as much oxygen as the person is breathing. In order to avoid fatigue associated with manual resuscitators, gas powered ones can be used. Try the Hudson RCI Lifesaver Reusable Resuscitator with Mask and Reservoir which is easy to assemble and folds compactly for convenient storage.