As an emergency medical professional, you rely on sophisticated tools to treat your patients. From cardiac monitors that defibrillate and cardiovert to drugs that reverse anaphylaxis and pulmonary edema, you are responsible not only for the benefits but also the dangers associated with such therapies. Even the simplest treatment can pose serious harm when not applied properly. A great example is your portable suction machine. Here, we’ll discuss three dangerous mistakes to avoid when applying portable suction in the field.

Portable suction can be a quick emergency intervention, a long-term treatment for patients under anesthesia, or a way to maintain safety and hygiene for people on ventilators.

Let's face it: Pediatric patients can be intimidating. They're small, they cry a lot, they require different medication dosages, and, fortunately, we don't run into them with great frequency.

In the event of a pandemic or other health emergency, hospital emergency departments and intensive care units can become overwhelmed. Doctors, nurses, and medical personnel are being asked to go above and beyond to protect patients — and to do it quickly.

It was the third vehicle crash of the shift. The first two were minor – low-speed fender benders with minor injuries. This one was different: a high-speed impact involving an unrestrained driver. The facial injuries were extensive.

The call came in the moment you placed your gear on the truck—a high-speed crash at that same dangerous intersection. Police on the scene are reporting they have three patients, one of whom is in cardiac arrest. CPR is being administered by bystanders. You hit your siren and respond.

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. 

Individuals with special needs make up an increasing proportion of outpatient populations. Better equipment, more effective medications, and the rising cost of medical facilities mean more special needs individuals are being cared for at home by family, friends, and home health personnel.

This means you, as an EMS professional, will run into such patients with greater regularity.

As an EMS professional, you rely on your equipment. Imagine for a moment what it was like just 50 years ago, when emergency transport meant simply placing a patient in the back of a makeshift ambulance (typically a station wagon) and driving as fast as you could to a hospital. Things have certainly improved not only for our patients but for providers as well.

Those of us in the medical profession know how important quality equipment is to overall patient care. We are only as good as our equipment; if it doesn't function well, it's hard for us to do our best.