--- title: "Respiratory Emergencies: The Importance of Suctioning Tenuous Airways" description: Hypoxia is one of the primary conditions that EMS personnel must combat on a daily basis. Stay alert for hypoxia, recognize signs, and clear the airway quickly! image: https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/Blog/rsz_1rsz_gettyimages-78029301.png --- [![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   # [Respiratory Emergencies: The Importance of Suctioning Tenuous Airways](https://blog.sscor.com/respiratory-emergencies-the-importance-of-suctioning-tenuous-airways) Posted by [Sam D. Say](https://blog.sscor.com/author/sam-d-say) Nov 16, 2016 4:30:00 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/respiratory-emergencies-the-importance-of-suctioning-tenuous-airways#) 0 - [![Facebook Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2623658044-png/images/icons/fb-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/respiratory-emergencies-the-importance-of-suctioning-tenuous-airways#) 0 ![Respiratory Emergencies: The Importance of Suctioning Tenuous Airways](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/rsz_1rsz_gettyimages-78029301.png?width=700&name=rsz_1rsz_gettyimages-78029301.png "Respiratory Emergencies: The Importance of Suctioning Tenuous Airways")  She had only turned her back for a minute—just enough time to run into the house to retrieve her cellphone. As she returned to the backyard, the first thing she noticed was the empty raft, drifting slowly toward the deep end of the pool. The child was nowhere to be seen.   The first personnel on the scene pulled the boy from the water and immediately started CPR. Chest compressions forced copious amounts of water and phlegm from the boy’s mouth, but his pulse returned, and you were able to quickly clear his airway using your [portable suction unit](https://www.sscor.com/EMS_suction_products.html). But will the boy recover, and if so, will his mental faculties remain intact? It all depends on how long his brain was starved of oxygen.   Hypoxia is one of the primary conditions that EMS personnel must combat daily. The body’s reliance on oxygen and the short window of survivability when the brain and systemic cells are deprived means that every second your patient’s airway is obstructed, his or her chance of recovery diminishes. And the first step in securing the obstructed airway is to clear the obstruction.   [![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)   ## **Oxygen (or Lack Thereof) and the Brain** Cerebral hypoxia occurs when there is a [lack of adequate oxygen](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6025-cerebral-hypoxia) to the brain. The condition can occur even when there is adequate circulation, such as in:   - Head trauma - Choking - Suffocation - Carbon monoxide poisoning - Drowning - Strangulation   Brain cells are constantly at work. Even when we sleep, our brains are busy maintaining homeostasis throughout our bodies. This constant activity requires tremendous amounts of energy, and these busy cells depend on oxygen to produce the adenosine triphosphate needed for energy production.    This constant demand for energy makes our brains both [metabolically expensive](https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.172399499) and highly sensitive to oxygen deprivation. And when they are deprived of oxygen, they quickly die. That means a brief [window of opportunity](https://blog.sscor.com/five-reasons-paramedics-should-bring-portable-suction-on-every-call)–four to six minutes–to correct an inadequate airway.   ## **Recognizing Hypoxia** In situations such as the near-drowning mentioned earlier, hypoxia is easy to recognize. Any patient who has been deprived of oxygen is assumed to be hypoxic until proven otherwise. But what about those patients who still have adequate circulation?   Recognizing a tenuous airway is the first step in correcting that airway, and the use of a [portable suction unit](https://www.sscor.com/S-SCORT_II_suction_unit.html) can be your first line of defense.   Conditions associated with tenuous airways include: - Stroke - CHF - The elderly with diminished ability to swallow - Decreased LOC - Drug overdose/intoxication - Foreign body obstruction - Trauma   Early recognition is key. Signs of hypoxia include:   - Increased work of breathing – use of accessory muscles, belly-breathing (in children), nasal flaring, retractions - Restlessness/agitation - Confusion - Bradycardia (especially in children) - Decreased LOC - Inadequate breath sounds - Abnormal breath sounds (gurgling, wheezing, stridor) - Coma - Seizures   [![New: Ultimate Guide To Purchasing A Portable Emergency Suction Device](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/55c49bab-8acd-48d9-a274-d480a9b3e678.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/55c49bab-8acd-48d9-a274-d480a9b3e678)   As your patient deteriorates, your interventions become more complex. If the hypoxia is caught early, through immediate recognition and aggressive clearing of the airway –[suction](https://blog.sscor.com/the-one-tool-everyone-in-the-paramedic-field-should-be-using)!–you may be able to avoid having to intubate. So stay alert for hypoxia, recognize the signs, clear the airway quickly, and be sure to oxygenate!   *Editor's Note: This blog was originally published in November 2016. It has been re-published with additional up-to-date content.*   [![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: [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. 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