During resuscitation, how can you determine the efficacy of positive pressure ventilation?

The efficacy of positive pressure ventilation can be primarily determined by observing chest rise during ventilation. This observation is vital because it directly indicates whether air is reaching the lungs and effectively inflating them. When proper ventilation is being delivered, the chest should rise and fall with each breath, demonstrating that the air is entering the thoracic cavity.

Monitoring blood pressure can provide some insight into the newborn's overall hemodynamic status, but it does not specifically indicate the effectiveness of the positive pressure ventilation itself. Checking the color of the newborn's skin, while indicative of oxygenation and perfusion, is a more general observation and does not directly reflect the effectiveness of the ventilation. Finally, counting heartbeats manually can give an indication of heart rate and response to resuscitation but does not provide a clear assessment of respiratory effectiveness or air exchange in the lungs. Therefore, observing chest rise during ventilation is the most direct and effective method for assessing the efficacy of positive pressure ventilation in a newborn.