A bag valve mask, abbreviated to BVM and sometimes known by the proprietary name Ambu bag or generically as a manual resuscitator or "self-inflating bag", is a hand-held device commonly used to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients who are not breathing or not breathing adequately. The device is a required part of resuscitation kits for trained professionals in out-of-hospital settings (such as ambulance crews) and is also frequently used in hospitals as part of standard equipment found on a crash cart, in emergency rooms or other critical care settings
The flow rate when using this device is 10 to 15 LPM (liters per minute). A non-rebreather mask can deliver an oxygen concentration of 90 percent or more. A BVM can deliver up to 100 percent oxygen to a breathing or non-breathing victim when attached to emergency oxygen.