--- title: 5 Important Places Hospitals Need Portable Suction Machines description: "There are 4 important places hospitals must place a portable suction machine: in the ER, on Crash Carts, in the ICU, and at nursing stations." image: https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/Blog/places_hospitals_need_medical_suction.jpg --- [![dark-header.jpg](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hub/212347/file-1107077240.jpg?width=940&name=file-1107077240.jpg "dark-header.jpg")](https://www.sscor.com/) ## **Thank you for visiting the SSCOR Blog.** Whether you're in a Hospital or EMS setting, this is the place for you. We'll share information on current industry news, tips, as well as the latest and greatest in SSCOR products. Our hope is that this blog is not only informative but a collaborative and open forum for you to share your thoughts on developing opportunities and challenges within your profession. Subscribe. Share your thoughts. Enjoy. -SSCOR Team   # [5 Important Places Hospitals Need Portable Suction Machines](https://blog.sscor.com/4-important-places-hospitals-need-portable-suction-machines) Posted by [Sam D. Say](https://blog.sscor.com/author/sam-d-say) May 28, 2026 8:00:02 AM 3 min read - [![LinkedIn Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2628248555-png/images/icons/linkedin-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/4-important-places-hospitals-need-portable-suction-machines#) 0 - [![Facebook Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2623658044-png/images/icons/fb-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/4-important-places-hospitals-need-portable-suction-machines#) 0 For every 100 Americans, about five made [an emergency room visit ](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/emergency-department.htm)to a community hospital in 2022. And this number doesn’t even include millions of hospital inpatient stays or outpatient procedures, further emphasizing the importance and challenge of providing quality care every time someone walks in or is wheeled in the door.   Even though every ER bay contains in-wall suction, that’s of little use if someone goes down in the waiting room or hallway. Critical care practitioners realize it’s important to have suction technology available in whatever location it’s needed. A [portable suction machine](https://www.sscor.com/hospital_products.html) can not only improve patient care, but it can also save lives. Here are four important places where hospitals should have the devices:    Even though every ER bay contains in-wall suction, that’s of little use if someone goes down in the waiting room or hallway. Critical care practitioners realize it’s important to have suction technology available in whatever location it’s needed. A [portable suction machine](https://www.sscor.com/hospital_products.html) can not only improve patient care, but it can also save lives. Here are four important places where hospitals should have the devices: ## **1. In Emergency Rooms** Trauma rooms may have in-wall suction, but other parts of the ER do not. How many times have you served ER patients on gurneys in the hallway? If they aspirate, you need suction stat. Portable suction lends itself to providing critical care wherever and whenever it’s needed. If someone in the waiting room codes or experiences an episode of syncope, you need to be able to quickly grab a portable suction machine to have on hand if the situation requires it.   [![New: Free Emergency Aspirator Purchasing Guide for Hospitals](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/8b3f08ff-a209-4f08-b702-68de84bac45b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/8b3f08ff-a209-4f08-b702-68de84bac45b)   ## **2. On Crash Carts** Every [crash cart](https://blog.sscor.com/crash-cart-preparedness-must-have-features-and-medications) should include an emergency portable suction device. It’s just as important to patient safety as a defibrillator. If a coding patient needs their airway cleared and is away from bedside in-wall suction, you can’t transport them down the hall or around the corner to the closest in-wall suction. Instead of taking the patient to a suction port, you should bring the suction to the patient. An emergency medical suction device mounts easily to the side of the crash cart and can be plugged in right along with the defibrillator, so you always have suction at hand. ## **3. In the ICU** During Superstorm Sandy in 2012, New York City utilities company Con Edison shut off the electricity, and New York University Langone Medical Center’s auxiliary generator failed to start. The hospital scrambled to stabilize 215 patients--including many from intensive care units--so they could be transported to other facilities. Any ICU nurse understands how vital suction is to patient care. While we all like to believe we can rely on our facility’s backup generator to kick in if the power goes off, equipping intensive care floors with portable medical suction machines minimizes the risk of aspiration if the generator fails during a power outage. ## **4. At Nurse Stations** What do you do when a visitor collapses in the waiting room? If you’re lucky, the episode is a result of nothing more than low blood sugar, and you’re able to get them on their way. But occasionally, a non-patient goes down due to a serious medical condition. In that situation, a portable suction device can play a key role in stabilizing the visitor until they can be transported to the ER for an evaluation.   [![NEW: Free Guide and Checklist for Paramedics: Determing the Contents of Your First-In Bag](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/05cfbf34-0ff9-44ef-bafe-aa8c9d72d546.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/05cfbf34-0ff9-44ef-bafe-aa8c9d72d546)   ## **5. ****Patient Surge Areas** We have seen many non-patient treatment areas within hospitals and facilities outside of hospitals converted to patient care during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these facilities have been forced to quickly purchase portable suction to provide the essential medical vacuum necessary to maintain a ventilator patient. It is best to have an equipment cache available to outfit such a surge facility rather than attempting to obtain equipment during times of spiking demand. Have you seen an emergency occur outside a patient room where in-wall suction wasn’t available? What was your solution? Tell us in the comments.   *Editor's Note: This blog was originally published in January, 2023. It has been re-published with additional up to date content.*   [![Aspirator_test_kit_sscor_suction](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/0956c29b-5220-474f-81a1-391c76c53a6f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/0956c29b-5220-474f-81a1-391c76c53a6f)   Topics: [Portable suction for hospitals](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/portable-suction-for-hospitals), [Emergency medical suction](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/emergency-medical-suction) ![Author Photo](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SDS2-648378-edited.jpg?width=70&name=SDS2-648378-edited.jpg) ## AboutSam D. Say Sam D. Say is owner and CEO of SSCOR, Inc., a medical device manufacturer specializing in emergency battery operated portable suction devices for the hospital and pre-hospital settings. Mr. Say has been involved in developing product for healthcare providers for over 35 years. His passions include contributing to the management of the patient airway and providing solutions that save lives in difficult conditions. 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