No matter the size or location of your hospital, your crash carts are going to serve a similar function: to provide you with the necessary equipment and medications to respond to cardiac and respiratory emergencies. Though variations will exist depending on hospital policies, type of unit, and typical patient population, you can expect most crash carts to follow the same framework of fundamental supplies.

Investing in a quality portable suction unit helps ensure that you can protect and clear each patient’s airway. But the right machine is just one component of proper airway maintenance; your machine must also work properly. One of your daily tasks should be portable suction machine maintenance. Here’s what you need to know about keeping each unit in excellent working order.

As we know, no two people are the same, and the same standard goes for each person’s airway. Airways come in all shapes and sizes, and to provide better care for patients, practitioners should understand how to treat and overcome the challenges associated with difficult airways. Providers knowing what to do and what not to do when encountering difficult airways is essential for tracheal intubation.

Waste management has always formed the core of infection prevention. The COVID-19 crisis brought this to the fore: Fluid waste disposal and basic suction catheter maintenance are not just boxes to check on a form.

They can mean the difference between life and death and between a pandemic spreading to others or stopping with you. The following guidelines can help you manage fluid waste, protect your patients, and stop the spread of contagious infections.

Portable medical suction is an indispensable part of every first responder’s toolkit. Yet research consistently suggests that operators may not know how to use suction devices properly. Your skills can grow rusty, especially if you work for an agency whose population does not routinely require portable medical suction.

Patients’ lives hang in the balance. Here are five things you need to know to ensure effective, safe suction each and every time.

Allergy season is upon us, and identifying the differences between normal, seasonal allergies and serious respiratory issues is critical for maintaining respiratory health. That wheeze when you breathe or your itchy throat may just be allergies, but it could be something more serious, and it’s important to know what to look for when you start to notice symptoms.

Emergency preparedness plans frequently focus on natural disasters, mass violence, war, and everyday emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes. Yet tooth decay is one of the most common diseases worldwide. Not only is tooth decay painful, but it can also lead to life-threatening complications, including endocarditis and brain infection. Mobile dentistry plays a key role in preventing and managing dental emergencies.

The elderly patient began vomiting blood early that morning. You arrive on the scene and are rushed inside by the woman’s daughter, who quickly fills you in on the patient’s history–late-stage esophageal cancer. The woman is sitting up in bed, alert and clearly frightened, with bright red blood staining her chin and chest. She is gasping for breath as you quickly set up your equipment, but when you turn on the portable suction unit, nothing happens. You exchange frantic glances with your partner and scramble for a Plan B. 

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are incredibly damaging, and they can change the course of a person’s life forever. In the U.S. alone, every year, roughly 17,700 individuals acquire an SCI. When it comes to airway management of patients with SCI, there are many considerations providers must keep in mind related to the impact of SCI on airway function, and the connection between the airway, cervical column and spinal cord.

Emergency responders have a million thoughts racing through their heads when treating patients, especially when it comes to pediatrics. In the event of a pediatric airway blockage, the stakes are high, and emergency responders must think on their feet. The best way to protect children from dangerous scenarios is to educate yourself on the anatomy of the airway and to know when and how to effectively perform a pediatric airway assessment.