How should ventilation be performed for a patient with a stoma?

The use of an adult bag-valve mask (BVM) or a pediatric facemask for providing ventilation to a patient with a stoma is the appropriate technique because it allows for effective delivery of oxygen while bypassing the oral and nasal passages. Patients with a stoma typically have an opening in the neck that connects directly to the trachea, allowing for ventilation to occur through the stoma rather than the mouth or nose.

Using a BVM or pediatric facemask ensures that a proper seal is created around the stoma site, allowing for the delivery of positive pressure ventilation, which can help maintain adequate oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination. This approach is essential in managing the airway effectively in patients who have undergone such procedures and may struggle to ventilate through normal anatomical pathways.

Mouth-to-mouth techniques are generally unsuitable and ineffective for patients with a stoma, as they do not accommodate the required ventilation method. A bag-mask device alone, without proper consideration for the stoma, could lead to insufficient ventilation. Inserting an endotracheal tube would also not be appropriate, as the stoma already serves as a direct airway, making such intervention unnecessary and potentially harmful. Thus, the use of an adult BVM or pediatric facemask is