Your team’s airway management is only as good as its medical suction units. Diligent practice, exceptional technique, and skillful assessments cannot compensate for a medical suction unit that does not work well. Sometimes, fixing suction issues is a simple matter of better storage or keeping an extra battery on hand. In other cases, such as those detailed below, it may be time to replace your suction device.

Whether you are an EMS administrator or you work within a hospital setting, there comes a time when old equipment must be replaced. Different agencies will have different bureaucratic processes, but it usually comes down to cost. What do we need, and how much can we spend?

There were more than 5,300 choking deaths in 2021. Aspiration remains alarmingly common and accounts for about 15.8% of community-acquired pneumonia cases. This means airway management remains a critical and life-saving tool for EMS responders. Whether it’s intubating a choking victim, clearing the airway in a patient suffering from pneumonia, or dealing with the aftermath of aspiration, suction catheters are an essential tool in every first responder’s kit.

 

In 2022, there were 647 mass shootings, and as of mid-year 2023, there have already been more than 300. Tactical medical response requires a different skill set and approach than that required when an elder falls, or a child has a choking episode. Tactical medical injuries are high-stakes, and first responders must provide prompt care in a high-stress environment where split-second decisions can be a matter of life and death.

Emergency medicine is constantly evolving, and new technologies and techniques are emerging all the time. While it is great to embrace innovation, we sometimes less value is placed on basic skills, such as oral suctioning. As an EMS provider, you must adapt to new technologies and techniques but always focus on your most basic skills.

 

Imagine sitting through a visit with the dentist without the use of suction. Medical suction machines allow dentists, periodontists, and oral surgeons the ability to keep the airway clear while performing critical treatments.

 

Quickly and efficiently hooking up your portable suction machine can save precious seconds, preventing hypoxia and reducing the risk of serious respiratory complications. It should only take a few seconds, but if you’ve never done it before, the process can feel overwhelming and frustrating.

 

It’s important that your team regularly drill the process, particularly if using suction machines is an infrequent part of your job with which team members have little practice. Here are the basic steps for getting your machine ready to go. 

 

As an emergency responder, you know that no two patients are exactly alike. Sure, you may employ the same protocols, such as ACLS during a code or PHTLS for a trauma victim, but each patient presents unique challenges, and you must be able to customize your treatment strategy.

Waste management has always formed the core of infection prevention. The COVID-19 crisis brought this to the fore: Fluid waste disposal and basic suction catheter maintenance are not just boxes to check on a form.

 

They can mean the difference between life and death and between a pandemic spreading to others or stopping with you. The following guidelines can help you manage fluid waste, protect your patients, and stop the spread of contagious infections.

 

 

Portable medical suction is an indispensable part of every first responder’s toolkit. Yet research consistently suggests that operators may not know how to use suction devices properly. Your skills can grow rusty, especially if you work for an agency whose population does not routinely require portable medical suction.

 

Patients’ lives hang in the balance. Here are five things you need to know to ensure effective, safe suction each and every time.