What Is the Benefit of Using a Pocket Mask With a One-Way Valve?

Mouth to mouth resuscitation dates back to 1704. The American Heart Association estimates that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can double or triple a victim's chance of survival.

Fear

• Many bystanders hesitate to administer CPR because of the fear of infectious disease transmission during mouth to mouth resuscitation. A 2006 study published in "Pre-Hospital and Disaster Medicine" confirms this suspicion. Fortunately, there is a variety of personal protective equipment (PPE) on the market to prevent disease transmission during the administration of CPR.

Masks

• One-way valve pocket masks are a form of PPE used in CPR. These masks have a valve and filter that allows the air to go through to the victim, but does not allow fluids from the victim to pass back to the rescuer.

Incidence

• The incidence of disease transmission during CPR is low. For a disease to be transmitted, the germs must have a means into the body, the immune system must be weak and the amount of germs must be significant. If you eliminate any one of these things, the transmission cannot occur. A pocket mask places a barrier between you and a victim to block the route for germs to enter your body.