--- title: 5 Tips for Suctioning a Bariatric Patient description: The following strategies can help you effectively suction bariatric patients, even when they present with difficult airways. image: https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/Suctioning%20a%20Bariatric%20Patient.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 Tips for Suctioning a Bariatric Patient](https://blog.sscor.com/5-tips-for-suctioning-a-bariatric-patient) Posted by [Sam D. Say](https://blog.sscor.com/author/sam-d-say) Aug 20, 2020 7:00:00 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/5-tips-for-suctioning-a-bariatric-patient#) 0 - [![Facebook Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2623658044-png/images/icons/fb-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/5-tips-for-suctioning-a-bariatric-patient#) 0 [![Suctioning a Bariatric Patient](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Suctioning%20a%20Bariatric%20Patient.jpg?width=2121&name=Suctioning%20a%20Bariatric%20Patient.jpg)Overweight or obese](https://blog.sscor.com/3-ways-to-improve-your-suction-technique) patients can present suctioning difficulties. Because [most American adults are overweight or obese](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm), medical providers must train in the treatment of bariatric patients. These patients are highly susceptible to airway difficulties, particularly [during surgery](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408147/). The following strategies can help you effectively suction bariatric patients, even when they present with difficult airways.   ## **Know When to Suction** Though obese patients are more likely to have airway difficulties, particularly during surgery, routine suctioning is not appropriate. Follow the same [guidelines for suctioning](https://blog.sscor.com/respiratory-emergencies-when-and-when-not-to-use-suction) that you would for any other patient, including:  - Audible respiratory sounds in a patient who is unable to clear their airway - An airway obstruction - Vomiting - Aspiration or high aspiration risk   Additionally, some obese patients struggle to spontaneously breathe during surgical procedures, so you must be prepared to suction and intubate.    ## **Be Prepared for a Difficult Airway ** Bariatric patients are more likely to present with a [difficult airway](https://blog.sscor.com/5-techniques-for-treating-a-difficult-airway), especially if they have underlying comorbidities. One of the biggest issues is often a matter of positioning. If your patient has mobility issues, you may struggle to get them into a safe suctioning position. Having two team members work together can reduce the risk of failed intubation, as well as injury to the patient.   Use the LEMON acronym to assess the probability of a difficult airway:  - L: Look at the airway for signs of a challenging intubation, such as missing teeth, a large tongue, or a broken jaw.  - E: Evaluate using the 3-3-2 rule. The mouth should be at least three fingers wide when open. The space from the chin to the hyoid bone should also be three fingers wide. The length of the space between the thyroid notch and hyoid bone must be at least two inches wide.  - M: Mallampati score. Assign a score to predict airway difficulty.  - O: Obstruction. Assess for medical conditions that might result in a physical airway obstruction, as well as the obstructions themselves.  - N: Neck mobility. Any neck mobility limitations, including those related to obesity or poor muscle tone, can undermine suction.    ## **Train for the Real World** Suction training sessions rarely mimic the complicated realities of treating human patients. Adjust your training sessions so that they include the wide variety of experiences you are likely to encounter in the real world, including intubating obese patients in high-stress situations, such as those that may follow a mass casualty or a car accident. The more accustomed you become to these stressful, difficult situations, the better prepared you will be when you encounter them in real life.    ## **Prevent Suction Complications ** Suctioning-related complications are more common in bariatric patients because they are more likely to present with a difficult airway and comorbidities. So although you must follow best practices with every patient, doing so is of the utmost importance with the bariatric patient. Always preoxygenate the patient. Never suction for longer than 10-15 seconds, and choose the size of the catheter based on the endotracheal tube size—not the patient’s size. A large patient might still need a typically sized catheter. Monitor the patient for signs of distress, and do not immediately attribute distress to the patient’s body size.    ## **Be Prepared for Emergency Suction ** One of the biggest challenges of treating a bariatric patient is moving them in an emergency. Wall-mounted suction won’t help in these scenarios. You must be prepared with an emergency unit, even if your agency primarily relies on wall-based suction units. With emergency suction, you can tend to the patient wherever you find them, improving outcomes and reducing the risk to first responders of attempting to quickly move them in an emergency. For help finding the ideal machine for your agency, download our free guide, [*The Ultimate Guide to Purchasing a Portable Emergency Suction Device*](https://info.sscor.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-purchasing-a-portable-emergency-suction-device).  [![ultimate_guide_to_purchasing_aspirator](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/e3e3529c-4d5a-4301-9c0f-92c47b999ccb.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/e3e3529c-4d5a-4301-9c0f-92c47b999ccb) Topics: [Emergency medical suction](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/emergency-medical-suction), [Emergency Preparedness](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/emergency-preparedness), [Medical Suction](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/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. Search #### Most Popular Articles ### Post by Topic - [Medical Suction (103)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/medical-suction) - [Airway management (102)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/airway-management) - [Emergency Preparedness (92)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/emergency-preparedness) - [Emergency medical suction (73)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/emergency-medical-suction) - [Portable suction for hospitals (34)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/portable-suction-for-hospitals) - [EMS suction (27)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/ems-suction) - [Handheld portable suction (26)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/handheld-portable-suction) - [Suction for EMS professionals (24)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/suction-for-ems-professionals) - [Respiratory (19)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/respiratory) - [medical scenarios (17)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/medical-scenarios) - [portable suction (16)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/portable-suction) - [Battery-powered suction (15)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/battery-powered-suction) - [EMS Professionals (15)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/ems-professionals) - [airway obstruction (15)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/airway-obstruction) - [Hospital disaster preparation (14)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/hospital-disaster-preparation) - [respiratory assessment (13)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/respiratory-assessment) - [Intubation (10)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/intubation) - [Pediatric Suction (10)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/pediatric-suction) - [Medical Suction for Dental (9)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/medical-suction-for-dental) - [Tactical trauma kit (7)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/tactical-trauma-kit) - [Crash Cart Supplies (6)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/crash-cart-supplies) - [Trauma (6)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/trauma) - [emt scenarios (6)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/emt-scenarios) - [Diseases & Infections (5)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/diseases-infections) - [aspiration pneumonia (5)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/aspiration-pneumonia) - [Aspiration (4)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/aspiration) - [Patient Transport (4)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/patient-transport) - [ambulance safety (4)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/ambulance-safety) - [Anaphylaxis (3)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/anaphylaxis) - [Suction Catheter (3)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/suction-catheter) - [nasotracheal intubation (3)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/nasotracheal-intubation) - [CDC (2)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/cdc) - [Medical Suction for Drowning (2)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/medical-suction-for-drowning) - [Tactical medical bag (1)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/tactical-medical-bag) - [medical devices (1)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/medical-devices) - [rapid sequence intubation (1)](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/rapid-sequence-intubation) [see all](https://blog.sscor.com/5-tips-for-suctioning-a-bariatric-patient#) [![subscribe_to_sscor_blog](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/1209b5e9-2bd5-461c-9673-0f13ab98cab8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/1209b5e9-2bd5-461c-9673-0f13ab98cab8) [![Aspirator_test_kit_sscor_suction](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/09b997f8-6c33-450c-9e98-6ea0f907f383.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/09b997f8-6c33-450c-9e98-6ea0f907f383) [![determining_contents_of_first_in_bag_guide_for_paramedics](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/03d28100-2a96-4c68-93d1-3e06a3b91cad.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/03d28100-2a96-4c68-93d1-3e06a3b91cad) - [![DUET-B-Front-370px](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/DUET-B-Front-370px.png "DUET-B-Front-370px")](https://www.sscor.com/duet_suction_unit_retention_bracket_portable_aspirator) - [![Duet Bracket Back with bracket](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/DUETBB-back-370px.png "Duet Bracket Back with bracket")](https://www.sscor.com/duet_suction_unit_retention_bracket_portable_aspirator) - [![S-SCORT III Front](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/S-SCORT3-front-370px.png "S-SCORT III Front")](https://www.sscor.com/s-scort_iii_suction_unit) - [![S-SCORT-III3-control-panel](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/S-SCORT3-control-panel-370px.png "S-SCORT-III3-control-panel")](https://www.sscor.com/s-scort_iii_suction_unit) - [![VX2-B-font](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/VX2-B-font-370px.png "VX2-B-font")](https://www.sscor.com/s-scort_vx2_option_portable_ems_suction) - [![VX-2 Bracket Back with Bracket](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/VX2BB-Back-370px.png "VX-2 Bracket Back with Bracket")](https://www.sscor.com/s-scort_vx2_option_portable_ems_suction) - [![Quickdraw Front](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/Quickdraw-370px.png "Quickdraw Front")](https://www.sscor.com/quickdraw_portable_suction_unit) - [![DCELL-front-angle](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/DCELL-front-angle-370px.png "DCELL-front-angle")](https://www.sscor.com/dcell_suction_hospital_aspirator) - [![DCELL-back](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/DCELL-back-370px.png "DCELL-back")](https://www.sscor.com/dcell_suction_hospital_aspirator) ### Follow us on social media: ## SSCOR Clearing The Airway Is Our #1 Priority **Company** [SSCOR Website](https://www.sscor.com/index.html) [About Us](https://www.sscor.com/who_are_we.html) [Contact Us](https://www.sscor.com/sales_support.html)   **Resources** [FAQ](https://www.sscor.com/Frequently-Asked-Questions.html) [Technical Support](https://www.sscor.com/technical-product-support.html) **Updates** [Upcoming Events](https://www.sscor.com/upcoming_events.html) *All data and information provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. SSCOR, Inc. makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.* Images and content of this blog are © 2023 SSCOR, Inc. All rights reserved.