• J Scott Delaney, Ammar Al-Kashmiri, Penny-Jane Baylis, Tracy Troutman, Mahmood Aljufaili, and José A Correa.
• McGill Sport Medicine Clinic and Department of Emergency Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada. j.delaney@mcgill.ca
• J Athl Train. 2011 Mar 1;46(2):117-25.

ContextManaging an airway in an unconscious athlete is a lifesaving skill that may be made more difficult by the recent changes in protective equipment. Different airway maneuvers and techniques may be required to help ventilate an unconscious athlete who is wearing full protective equipment.ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of different airway maneuvers with football, ice hockey, and soccer players wearing full protective equipment.DesignCrossover study.SettingUniversity sports medicine clinic.Patients Or Other ParticipantsA total of 146 university varsity athletes, consisting of 62 football, 45 ice hockey, and 39 soccer players.Intervention(S)Athletes were assessed for different airway and physical characteristics. Three investigators then evaluated the effectiveness of different bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation techniques in supine athletes who were wearing protective equipment while inline cervical spine immobilization was maintained.Main Outcome Measure(S)The effectiveness of 1-person BVM ventilation (1-BVM), 2-person BVM ventilation (2-BVM), and inline immobilization and ventilation (IIV) was judged by each investigator for each athlete using a 4-point rating scale.ResultsAll forms of ventilation were least difficult in soccer players and most difficult in football players. When compared with 1-BVM, both 2-BVM and IIV were deemed more effective by all investigators for all athletes. Interference from the helmet and stabilizer were common reasons for difficult ventilation in football and ice hockey players.ConclusionsSports medicine professionals should practice and be comfortable with different ventilation techniques for athletes wearing full equipment. The use of a new ventilation technique, termed inline immobilization and ventilation, may be beneficial, especially when the number of responders is limited.

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