The weather may still be hot throughout most of the country, but walk into any grocery or home improvement store and you’ll see signs of fall: pumpkins, mums, apple cider, and straw bales. Cooler weather and the holiday season it brings will be here before you know it. Now is the time for emergency management agencies to begin preparing for holiday emergencies. Public outreach can save lives, so consider planning a public education seminar about common holiday emergencies before the temperature begins dropping.

Pulmonary aspiration presents a serious risk to the elderly and infirm, patients experiencing medical emergencies, intubated patients, and anyone undergoing medical or dental procedures. The right suction unit is the most powerful weapon in the fight against aspiration. Ideally, it can prevent aspiration altogether by maintaining a patent airway. Mortality and morbidity associated with pulmonary aspiration are high, with the most common consequence being aspiration pneumonia. One study suggested the 30-day mortality rate for aspiration pneumonia was 21 percent. Understanding this potentially lethal syndrome is key to preventing and treating it.

The right suction catheter can save patients’ lives. The wrong one can cause pharyngeal injuries, reduce suction power, and even increase morbidity and mortality. Whether you’re purchasing suction catheters for portable use in EMS settings, for the hospital, or for a medical clinic, selecting a variety of tips is key. This strategy ensures that providers always have the right suction catheter on hand. Here are some questions to ask before making your next purchase.

When patients die during or after an aspiration event, it’s often because of the exposure to airway contaminants, not hypoxia. The risk of death increases with the volume of fluid inhaled. This is why diligent, intelligent suction can prove life-saving, especially in someone with limited mobility who is actively aspirating or vomiting. The right suction device quickly clears airway obstructions with a high rate of flow and powerful suction.

The right portable suction machine is an integral part of patient care. Although most people charged with hospital purchasing are aware of the role of wall-mounted and non-portable suction in patient wellness, they may not consider the importance of portable suction. Before you make this important purchase, here are five facts you need to know.

A suction machine is a key component of any medical toolkit. In hospital settings, it prevents aspiration and protects the airway during medical procedures ranging from routine to revolutionary. SSCOR offers a range of suction devices for every agency and need.

The right suction machine is an investment in patients’ lives. Here are factors to consider when choosing the right device for your needs.

Aspiration pneumonia has a mortality rate of 5%, and of 20% in populations with emphysema. The secretions patients aspirate are often contaminated with pathogens from the oral cavity, increasing the rate of morbidity and necessitating additional interventions and potentially long hospital stays. Prompt intervention is the key to preventing serious complications associated with aspiration pneumonia. Portable emergency suction can help prevent aspiration pneumonia, as well as its attendant complications.

A medical aspirator that fails to function can do serious harm. Even if the device doesn’t harm patients, it delays treatment, increasing morbidity. Inadequate suction is a major factor in aspiration and hypoxia. 

SSCOR’s free medical aspirator test kit offers a cost-effective, efficient way to minimize the problem of non-functioning suction devices.

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children under the age of 15, and when natural disasters strike, children are often the first casualties. The health and social costs of emergencies and natural disasters often last for years or even decades. Floods in South Asia, for instance, left 1.8 million children out of school. This presents the possibility that the floods may affect children for the rest of their lives.

The total cost of natural disasters reached more than $300 billion worldwide in 2017. Catastrophes such as hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, floods, and earthquakes displace millions of people every year and send thousands to emergency departments. Climate change, increasingly crowded urban centers, and failing infrastructure all play a role in exacerbating the effect of these disasters, which show no sign of slowing down. Yet many EMS departments remain woefully unprepared. Don’t wait for a natural disaster to hit your area. The time to begin preparing is now.