As an EMS professional, you rely on your equipment. Imagine for a moment what it was like just 50 years ago, when emergency transport meant simply placing a patient in the back of a makeshift ambulance (typically a station wagon) and driving as fast as you could to a hospital. Things have certainly improved not only for our patients, but for providers.  

 As an EMS responder, you know how important a well-stocked trauma bag can be to the smooth running of emergency scenes. When you’re involved in the rapid, complex stabilization of a trauma patient, there’s nothing better than knowing that every piece of equipment you need is right within arm’s reach. A variety of dressings, assessment tools, and personal protection gear are all critical inclusions in your trauma bag. But none is so imperative as airway equipment, for without a patent airway, nothing you do for your patient will really matter. 

It's a nightmare scenario, but if your hospital experiences a total power outage, you still need to care for patients. You might be able to navigate the darkened rooms with a flashlight and emergency lighting, but how will you oxygenate that ventilated patient? How will you suction them? 

It’s 3:00 a.m., and you’ve just arrived at the home of a woman in her early 70s. She told the dispatcher that her husband was feeling a bit of discomfort in his chest and got up to go to the bathroom several minutes ago. She heard him fall in the hallway and found him unresponsive. You’re informed that he has a history of high blood pressure and has been a smoker for over 50 years, alerting you to the possibility that he had a heart attack. 

Distracted driving is responsible for about 3,000 deaths each year. Knowing how to treat patients in such crises and paying special attention to potential airway problems is essential for providing proper care. 

Geriatric patients are more likely to experience respiratory emergencies such as pneumonia, aspiration, and severe respiratory infections. A range of physiological changes, including muscle atrophy, can make airway assessment and management more difficult.  

 Invented in 1907 by Dr. Sidney Yankauer, the Yankauer suction tip has withstood the test of time. The Yankauer suction tip was originally designed to remove blood and secretions from a patient’s oral airway during tonsillectomy procedures. Many practitioners call the Yankauer a “tonsil tip” suction device for this reason. 

Ask any emergency responder, and they'll tell you the critical role portable suction plays in maintaining airway patency. No other tool can remove blood, vomit, or sputum from the airway, or allow you to visualize the cords before intubation. 

As we have witnessed through recent natural disasters, hospitals are not immune to power loss. Even a brief disruption in power can affect many critical systems within the hospital. Medical vacuum is one example.

Most hospitals rely on a central source for their vacuum. Generally, a pump, or pumps, in the basement creates the vacuum that is delivered throughout the hospital through a series of pipes. Without electricity, the pump cannot function, and the vacuum is lost. Let’s review how this impacts normal hospital function and ways to mitigate this issue.