When is it appropriate to use a manual resuscitation device, if available, on board?

• A. Only when the patient is conscious.
• B. It should be used in every cardiac arrest automatically.
• C. If trained and available, to assist with rescue breathing when appropriate and AED use when not.
• D. It should never be used on an aircraft.

Answer: (C)

When someone on board isn’t breathing adequately, providing ventilation is important, but it should be done by someone who is trained with the right equipment. A manual resuscitation device (like a bag-valve mask) is used to deliver rescue breaths during CPR, and it can be used to support ventilation while you continue chest compressions and coordinate with the AED’s analysis and shock function. The best choice is to use it if you’re trained and the device is available, to assist with rescue breathing when appropriate and to support AED use when not. This approach ensures effective ventilation without delaying compressions and allows the AED to deliver shocks when indicated.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: a manual resuscitation device isn’t used only when the patient is conscious, and such devices aren’t automatically deployed in every cardiac arrest without considering skill and availability. Also, it isn’t correct to say it should never be used on an aircraft; trained responders may use it to provide ventilation as part of CPR when appropriate on board.