Why is the valve on the nonrebreather mask covered sometimes?

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Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/Ortho/Psych.

I have noticed some cover the valve and am wondering why?

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Our non rebreather masks have a rubber valve that looks like a washer that closes when the pts breathe in so they don't get outside air, just the oxygen. Then, when they exhale, the valve opens to let the exhaled air out so they don't rebreathe it. Sometimes our RT will remove the rubber valve, and calls it a partial nonbreather mask. I'm not sure why some pt's can get room air with the oxygen, maybe a venturi mask isn't available.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

With ours, the valve (depending on if its open or closed) changes it from a nonrebreather to a partial rebreather mask.

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Our non rebreather masks have a rubber valve that looks like a washer that closes when the pts breathe in so they don't get outside air, just the oxygen. Then, when they exhale, the valve opens to let the exhaled air out so they don't rebreathe it. Sometimes our RT will remove the rubber valve, and calls it a partial nonbreather mask. I'm not sure why some pt's can get room air with the oxygen, maybe a venturi mask isn't available.

Venturi masks are also designed to allow room air -like rebreathers and non rebreathers, but venturi is a high flow system.

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