--- title: The 3 Most Common Scenarios for Portable Suction Use description: When it comes to compromised airways, a reliable portable suction unit is your most effective tool. Here are three scenarios that demand prompt oral suctioning image: https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/Blog/rsz_gettyimages-522714237.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   # [The 3 Most Common Scenarios for Portable Suction Use](https://blog.sscor.com/the-three-most-common-scenarios-for-portable-suction-use) Posted by [Sam D. Say](https://blog.sscor.com/author/sam-d-say) Feb 3, 2024 8:00:00 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/the-three-most-common-scenarios-for-portable-suction-use#) 0 - [![Facebook Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2623658044-png/images/icons/fb-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/the-three-most-common-scenarios-for-portable-suction-use#) 0 ![The Three Most Common Scenarios for Portable Suction Use](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/rsz_gettyimages-522714237.jpg?width=700&name=rsz_gettyimages-522714237.jpg "The Three Most Common Scenarios for Portable Suction Use") Here are a few questions for all you paramedics out there: When was the last time you decompressed a tension pneumothorax? How many surgical airways have you performed? Have you ever delivered a baby in the prehospital setting? And how many times have you performed a rapid sequence intubation?   EMS professionals tend to focus on the extreme calls – those rare interventions that afford bragging rights for years to come. But the mundane, day-to-day procedures can be just as impactful for the patient. CPR, defibrillation, intubation, and drug therapy are critical to patient outcomes, yet are often taken for granted. The same can be said of suctioning.   When it comes to clearing the airway, there is truly no substitute for effective suctioning. How else are you going to remove vomit, visualize the cords, or ventilate the patient without a dependable [portable suction unit](https://www.sscor.com/EMS_suction_products.html) at your side? The answer? You aren’t. Let’s face it, nothing takes the place of suctioning. And three general scenarios demand prompt oral suctioning. Let’s take a quick look at each one.   [![Guide: Portable Emergency Suction: A Critial Tool In Avoiding Aspiration Pneumonia](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/2f1501c2-bb40-46f8-a1de-c029ad5be75b.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/2f1501c2-bb40-46f8-a1de-c029ad5be75b)   ## **The Unconscious Patient** One of the most precarious situations for a patient is when they can no longer protect their airway. And for anyone with a depressed level of consciousness or those who are unresponsive, your primary responsibility as a paramedic is to keep their airway patent. A diminished level of consciousness accompanies many medical disorders, for example:   - Diabetes - Drug Overdose - Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVAs)   As these patients lose consciousness, they can easily fall victim to an airway obstruction in the form of vomiting and oral secretions. That’s where your [portable suction unit](https://www.sscor.com/S-SCORT_VX2_Option_portable_ems_suction.html) comes in. It should be included on any call involving patients with the potential for diminished LOC or unresponsiveness. Better yet, just keep it at your side [at all times](https://blog.sscor.com/five-reasons-paramedics-should-bring-portable-suction-on-every-call)!   ## **Placing Airway Adjuncts** If you intend to place an airway adjunct, whether it be a supraglottic or an endotracheal tube, it’s critical to include your portable suction unit as part of your airway arsenal. Even if you’re simply placing an oropharyngeal airway, you must keep that suction handy, for if the patient regains a gag reflex, there’s a good chance removal of the oropharyngeal airway will be accompanied by vomiting. When intubating the trachea, the presence of blood, vomit, or sputum can impede visualization of the vocal cords, so keep the suction by your side and be prepared to use 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)   ## **Trauma Patients** When you think of trauma, blood naturally comes to mind. The fact is, most traumatic injuries bleed, and if the trauma impacts the face, your only chance at securing the airway is by suctioning your patient. Unlike medical patients requiring suction, those suffering from traumatic injuries have the added burden of tissue and teeth impeding the airway. The typical suction catheter may not be able to handle these larger impediments, so be sure to have [specialized catheters](https://www.sscor.com/ducanto_catheter?__hstc=34956030.d42e4b5f70905a548ec98f5ce717ea25.1694527748467.1702394043122.1705423991200.5&__hssc=34956030.5.1705423991200&__hsfp=375978419&hsCtaTracking=ac0c45a3-483b-4b69-8b6f-8ba6bf41126e%7Cb85cb841-13ec-4872-8b7a-2e43f7206dcd) on hand for trauma scenarios.   EMS calls are inherently unpredictable, which is what you love about the job. You never know when the next call will come in or what type of emergency it will encompass. So you had better be prepared! And when it comes to the compromised airway, a reliable portable suction unit is your most effective tool.   *Editor's Note: This blog was originally published in September, 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: [Portable suction for hospitals](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/portable-suction-for-hospitals) ![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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