Appropriate bag-mask ventilation for an apneic 3-year-old involves:

Appropriate bag-mask ventilation for an apneic 3-year-old involves:

• A. Delivering each breath over 1 second until the chest rises visibly.
• B. Delivering breaths for 3 seconds each.
• C. Giving breaths without observing chest rise.
• D. Providing continuous compressions only.

Answer: (A)

In bag-mask ventilation for an apneic child, the goal is to deliver each breath so the lungs actually inflate, then confirm that inflation by watching for chest rise. Delivering a breath over about one second gives enough volume without rushing air in, and watching the chest rise tells you that air is entering the lungs rather than escaping around a leak or into the stomach. If the chest does not rise, you need to reassess the airway: improve the mask seal, reposition the head and jaw, and check for a clear airway or secretions before giving the next breath. Breathing for three seconds each would risk gastric inflation and hemodynamic compromise, and giving breaths without observing chest rise provides no feedback about effectiveness. Relying on chest compressions alone omits ventilation, which is essential in an apneic child.

In bag-mask ventilation for an apneic child, the goal is to deliver each breath so the lungs actually inflate, then confirm that inflation by watching for chest rise. Delivering a breath over about one second gives enough volume without rushing air in, and watching the chest rise tells you that air is entering the lungs rather than escaping around a leak or into the stomach. If the chest does not rise, you need to reassess the airway: improve the mask seal, reposition the head and jaw, and check for a clear airway or secretions before giving the next breath. Breathing for three seconds each would risk gastric inflation and hemodynamic compromise, and giving breaths without observing chest rise provides no feedback about effectiveness. Relying on chest compressions alone omits ventilation, which is essential in an apneic child.