During an emergency, a patient's airway (mouth and/or throat) may become blocked with vomitus, blood or secretions. Suction devices help clear the airway of hazardous choking, helping the patient to breathe and allowing the performance of emergency ventilation procedures. Ventilating a patient without removing fluids will cause the patient to aspirate the fluids into the lungs, increasing the chances of pneumonia, choking or hypoxia (suffocation). The number one indication for suctioning is when you hear gurgling sounds.
Instructions
1. Check and maintain the device regularly for suctioning strength and power source reliability. Test suctioning strength by clamping off the tubing or simply bending it shut. The pressure gauge on the device should reach 300 mm Hg within 4 seconds; if it does not, adjust the device accordingly.
2. Measure the device for proper size and placement from the corner of the mouth to the earlobe. The first type of catheter is the French catheter, which is made of soft, flexible plastic; after lubrication, place it in the oropharynx, through the nose or down an endotracheal tube. This catheter is also a good choice to suction stomas. The second type is the Yankauer catheter, which is large in diameter and does not bend but is capable of quickly suctioning large amounts of fluid.
3. Preoxygenate the patient before you begin to suction. When suctioning fluids, you also suction the patient's oxygen. For this reason, suctioning should be limited to 15 seconds for adults, 10 seconds for children and 5 seconds for infants.
4. Open the patient's mouth by using the cross-finger technique or tongue-jaw lift. Insert the catheter to the proper, predetermined depth. Never insert the the tip of a catheter past the base of a patient's tongue, as this may initiate the gag reflex. Stimulating the throat of a young child (vagal stimulus) can cause the heart rate to drop. Be careful not to suction while inserting. Use the suction in a circular motion while withdrawing the catheter.
Tags: catheter which, Device Setting, Suction Device, Suction Device Setting, suctioning strength