During bag-valve-mask ventilation, what should be observed for effective ventilation?

During bag-valve-mask ventilation, observing the chest rise and fall is a critical indicator of effective ventilation. This observation confirms that air is being properly delivered into the lungs, indicating that the airway is patent and the bag is being effectively squeezed. The chest should rise symmetrically with each ventilation, reflecting that air is moving into the lungs rather than only partially inflating the stomach or being delivered incorrectly due to a seal failure around the mask.

While factors like heart rate variability, oxygen saturation levels, and skin temperature can provide useful information about a patient’s overall status and can be affected by oxygenation and ventilation, they do not give immediate and direct feedback about the effectiveness of each individual bag-valve-mask ventilation. Observing the chest rise and fall is the most direct and practical method to assess if ventilation is occurring as intended.