When is the best time to suction a patient?
When to suction 1 Any time the patient feels or hears mucus rattling in the tube or airway. 2 In the morning when the patient first wakes up. 3 When there is an increased respiratory rate (working hard to breathe). 4 Before meals. 5 Before going outdoors. 6 ... (more items)
How long should suction be used on a patient with a cough?
Additional Information. Coughing helps move secretions from the lower airways to the upper airways. Apply suction for a maximum of 10 to 15 seconds. Allow patient to rest in between suction for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
What should I look for when suctioning a patient?
Watch for loose dental hardware, especially in the elderly. Use care when suctioning pediatric and geriatric patients, to prevent trauma to mucosal tissues. Effective suctioning is one of the most important treatments you, as an EMS professional, provide.
When to suction after a tracheostomy?
When to suction. The secretions should be white or clear. If they start to change color, (e.g. yellow, brown or green) this may be a sign of infection. If the changed color persists for more than three days or if it is difficult to keep the tracheostomy tube intact, call your surgeon's office.
How long to suction a yankauer?
Coughing helps move secretions from the lower airways to the upper airways. Apply suction for a maximum of 10 to 15 seconds. Allow patient to rest in between suction for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 10.
What is the assessment of suctioning?
1. Assess patient need for suctioning (respiratory assessment for signs of hypoxia), risk for aspiration, and inability to protect own airway or clear secretions adequately, which may lead to upper airway obstruction.
Why is oral suctioning important?
Oral suctioning is useful to clear secretions from the mouth in the event a patient is unable to remove secretions or foreign matter by effective coughing. Patients who benefit the most include those with CVAs, drooling, impaired cough reflex related to age or condition, or impaired swallowing (Perry et al., 2014).
How to use a Yankauer catheter?
Insert yankauer catheter and apply suction by covering the thumb hole. Run catheter along gum line to the pharynx in a circular motion , keeping yankauer moving. Encourage patient to cough. Movement prevents the catheter from suctioning to the oral mucosa and causing trauma to the tissues.
What is the purpose of oral suction?
The purpose of oral suctioning is to maintain a patent airway and improve oxygenation by removing mucous secretions and foreign material (vomit or gastric secretions) from the mouth and throat (oropharynx). Oral suction is the use of a rigid plastic suction catheter, known as a yankauer (see Figure 5.3), to remove pharyngeal secretions through ...
Why is the suction catheter not used for tracheotomy?
The oral suctioning catheter is not used for tracheotomies due to its large size. Oral suctioning is useful to clear secretions from the mouth in the event a patient is unable ...
What does clearing out a catheter do?
Clearing out the catheter prevents the connection tubing from plugging.
When to suction a tube?
Suctioning should be considered. Any time the patient feels or hears mucus rattling in the tube or airway. In the morning when the patient first wakes up.
Why is suctioning important for tracheostomy?
In response to these changes, the body produces more mucus. Suctioning clears mucus from the tracheostomy tube and is essential for proper breathing. Also, secretions left in the tube could become contaminated and a chest infection could develop. Avoid suctioning too frequently as this could lead to more secretion buildup.
How to insert a catheter into a tracheostomy tube?
Carefully insert the catheter into the tracheostomy tube. Allow the catheter to follow the natural curvature of the tracheostomy tube. The distance to the location of catheter becomes easier to determine with experience. The least traumatic technique is to pre-measure the length of the tracheostomy tube then introduce the catheter only to that length. For example if the patient?s tracheostomy tube is 4 cm long, place the catheter 4 cm into the tracheostomy tube. Often, there will be instances when this technique of suctioning (called tip suctioning) will not clear the patient?s secretions. For those situations, the catheter may need to be inserted several mm beyond the end of the tracheostomy tube (called deep suctioning). With experience, caregivers will be able to judge the distance to insert the tracheostomy tube without measuring.
Why do you suction a tracheostomy tube?
Suctioning clears mucus from the tracheostomy tube and is essential for proper breathing. Also, secretions left in the tube could become contaminated and a chest infection could develop. Avoid suctioning too frequently as this could lead to more secretion buildup.
How to clean a catheter?
Whenever the suction catheter is to be reused, place the catheter in a container of distilled/sterile water and apply suction for approximately 30 seconds to clear secretions from the inside. Next, rinse the catheter with running water for a few minutes then soak in a solution of one part vinegar and one part distilled/sterile water for 15 minutes. Stir the solution frequently. Rinse the catheters in cool water and air-dry. Allow the catheters to dry in a clear container. Do not reuse catheters if they become stiff or cracked.
What to do if breathing is not normal?
Call 911 if breathing is still not normal after doing all of the above steps. Remove the entire trach tube and try to place the spare tube. Continue trying to cough, instill saline, and suction until breathing is normal or help arrives .
How long should you leave a catheter in a tracheostomy?
Do not leave the catheter in the tracheostomy tube for more than 5-10 seconds since the patient will not be able to breathe well with the catheter in place.
When to break out suction unit?
Once you’ve determined your patient needs suction, it’s time to break out the unit.
How to use a suction unit?
Once you have your suction unit set up, it’s time to prepare your patient. This includes: 1 Positioning the unconscious patient – Open the airway using the appropriate method. 2 Preoxygenate the patient for one to two minutes if bagging. 3 Use the appropriate-sized catheter, especially when dealing with large volumes of blood or vomit. 4 Assess and reassess your patient continuously, using cardiac monitor and pulse oximetry. 5 Watch for loose dental hardware, especially in the elderly. 6 Use care when suctioning pediatric and geriatric patients, to prevent trauma to mucosal tissues.