Facemask ventilation requires the ability to cover the mouth and nose with a facemask, produce a seal and clear the airway.
Difficulty of mask ventilation (DMV) has been classified using the Han scale.
Han Scale Classification
|
1 |
Easy mask ventilation |
|
2 |
Needs oral airway or adjuvant with or without neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) |
|
3 |
Difficult - inadequate or unstable or requiring two care providers, with or without NMBA |
|
4 |
Impossible - unable to mask ventilate with or without NMBA |
Table 1 Han scale classification