Ventilation support without manual ventilation: advantages of demand valves

Demand valves, also known as self-inflating resuscitators or self-breathing bags, are important medical devices used in various areas of medicine, particularly in emergency medicine, pre-hospital care and during anaesthesia.

These devices are designed to provide automatic ventilatory support by delivering oxygen when the patient inhales and stopping ventilation when the patient exhales. This ensures a continuous oxygen supply without the need for continuous manual ventilation. Demand valves are particularly useful in situations where continuous monitoring and adjustment of ventilation is not possible, for example during patient transport or in pre-hospital emergency care.