As a nurse, you know what to expect to find in a crash cart. From the defibrillator to the IV supplies to the resuscitation medications, everything in the cart has its specific place and purpose. The consumable supplies are restocked after they are used, and the durable medical equipment is properly cleaned so that it is ready to use for the next code.

Emergency suction machines play a vital role in a hospital. Providing the ability to clear a patient’s airway at any location, these devices are potentially life-saving. This is particularly true for small hospitals that may not have in-wall suction available in all patient care areas.

As an emergency medical services responder, you know how important it is to maintain good health. The stress of EMS, the long hours, and the erratic nature of the job can lead to hypertension and anxiety, lack of sleep, and missed meals (or worse yet, high consumption of fast foods). Just as you should be vigilant about your personal health, you should also maintain the health of your equipment. An unhealthy body is easily taxed; so too is your equipment if it’s not kept in good working order. And one of the most crucial pieces of equipment is your portable medical suction unit.

There is no doubt that we have witnessed many tragic events over the last 12 months. From the recent events in San Bernardino, to the shooting at the Charleston Church, to the attack at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado, the devastation caused by mass shootings is apparent. The November attacks in Paris also reminded us that such tragedies occur globally.

You are dispatched to a “patient unconscious” and arrive on scene to find an obese man in his mid-50s, unresponsive and apneic. As his wife is describing his extensive cardiac history, the man goes into cardiac arrest and you initiate resuscitation. He is asystolic, so you immediately turn to drug therapy, only he has no veins to speak of. Your only option for drug therapy is through the endotracheal tube, which is also the best means of securing his airway, so you set up your equipment, have the suction unit close by, and position yourself for intubation. It’s not going to be easy.

You have been given the “go-ahead” to purchase new portable medical suction for the hospital within an  allocated budget. Since you want to make a wise and informed decision, let’s take a look at some of the most important factors to consider before buying new suction machines.

Airway management is one of the most vital aspects of patient care and can range from basic adjuncts to complex interventions. Whether the patient is an overdose, in cardiac arrest, or the victim of multisystem trauma, the first step in treatment and stabilization is securing a patent airway. And fortunately, there are an array of choices for paramedics in the prehospital setting.

Your current portable suction devices aren’t performing as they should.  You notice the battery life is short, the suction is weak, and they are seemingly unreliable. Because you are concerned about patient safety, you suggest to your manager that the hospital should purchase some new devices. What you soon learn, however, is that medical equipment at the hospital isn’t just purchased because an employee thinks it is needed.  Instead, there needs to be planning, budgeting, and approval for all new equipment.

In today’s changing healthcare environment, hospital spending is being closely monitored. With so much attention on the bottom line, allocating funds for new equipment is not something that is taken lightly. Often a committee of members from various disciplines is used to make purchasing decisions.

The call was to a shooting; no other information was provided. You arrive to find a gunshot wound to the mouth, self-inflicted, the shotgun still warm, the patient still conscious. A last minute flinch sent the blast careening through the patient’s cheek – a survivable wound, if you can keep the airway clear. But with heavy bleeding and massive tissue destruction, maintaining a patent airway is going to be tricky. You better have your suction ready.