The process of suctioning is used to remove secretions from the trachea in order to avoid an obstruction in the airways that could be fatal. Suctioning can save lives, but it can also cause several problems, such as hypoxia and irregular heartbeat. One of the most adaptable and practical items of medical supplies in the supply bag is a suction catheter. The correct suction catheter is essential to carrying out your duties, whether they include preventing crises before they arise or providing life-saving care when a patient is unable to breathe on their own. Here are essential uses for suction catheters.
In the Hospital
The majority of hospitals have rooms with wall-mounted, fixed suction equipment. In the course of routine surgeries including tonsillectomies, tracheostomies, and sinus-related illnesses, care teams frequently use stationary aspirators. But for specific applications, hospitals frequently have a few portable equipment. For instance, rather than transferring the patient to a different room if they require an aspirator but there isn’t a wall-mounted aspirator in their room, the care team will find and get a portable aspirator. When hospitals are full, they are also utilized to treat people outside of a room.
Continuous Medical Care
For a variety of factors, patients who are unable to remove their secretions may need to have portable suction equipment in their homes. This includes those with chronic illnesses, patients who have had a tracheostomy, and patients undergoing palliative care who consider it hard or impossible to remove their secretions.
Prevention and Control of Aspiration
When a patient is receiving dental care, a suction catheter may assist in preventing aspiration, particularly if the patient is unconscious. Suctioning may be necessary for patients who are at risk of aspiration, including those who have pneumonia, persistent vomiting, or a bloody airway.
Prompt suctioning helps restore normal airway function and lower the amount of pollutants that enter the lungs in individuals who have already aspirated. Eliminating pollutants from the respiratory tract has the potential to save lives, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
Handling of Respiratory Emergencies
Emergency suctioning is useful in many different respiratory situations when it can save lives. For some choking sufferers, prompt suctioning may preserve the airway, particularly if swelling and inflammation present a hazard to the airway. Suction catheters may also be helpful for patients with acute respiratory infections, especially if they are unable to open their airways.
Children’s Airway Management
Among pediatric patients, respiratory episodes rank among the most common illnesses that can be fatal. To maintain respiration, newborns may need suctioning right away. If they are born prematurely, they may require continuous suctioning as well. When a kid or infant has a respiratory infection, experiences choking episodes, or has a neurological issue that prevents them from breathing normally, they may need to be suctioned.
Treating Airway Trauma
An object stuck in the throat, a blow to the head, or an existing internal injury can all cause airway trauma. Choking and aspiration are risks if an individual is bleeding. There are situations where brain injuries or other types of trauma that impair a patient’s capacity to breathe on their own or expel respiratory secretions coexist with airway trauma. Under these conditions, a suction catheter can be life-saving. Choosing the correct suction machine is essential for both preserving life and guaranteeing your suction catheter works at its best.
How can we ensure that using a suction catheter is safer?
Healthcare providers must do suctioning cautiously and appropriately since there could be difficulties. Multiple strategies exist to guarantee and safeguard the well-being of medical personnel and patients in tandem.
Examine the patient with care
Suctioning has several possible side effects. It should only be carried out rarely and after a careful evaluation to identify the patient’s needs and medical indications.
Use the appropriate size suction catheter.
Suctioning may result in cilia disturbance in the trachea, injury to the mucosa, and varying oxygen saturation. Selecting a suction catheter that is large enough to remove secretions without unduly harming the patient is crucial. Suction catheters should not be larger than 50% of the tracheal tube’s internal diameter, or lumen. By doing this, the possibility of mechanical trauma—which can result in wounds and bleeding that can contain an infection—is reduced. Â
Reduce how often you suction.
When done incorrectly and too frequently, suctioning can be harmful. The more an individual is suctioned, the higher the likelihood of unfavorable outcomes taking place. The patient’s clinical state should determine the time between each suctioning session.
Appropriate suction pressure
One way to adjust the pressure is to choose a suction catheter with many eyes, or holes, at the tip. The amount of negative pressure used is another crucial factor to take into account for better suction catheter use. Healthcare professionals need to find a middle ground between clearing the secretions and minimizing airway damage.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a suction catheter is a medical device that is useful to remove secretions, and other substances from a patient’s airway or respiratory tract. It is commonly used in various clinical settings, including hospitals, clinics, and home care.
