Emerging evidence suggests that bariatric patients are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID illness. This means they may represent a disproportionate share of your patients during the pandemic. If you’re suctioning a bariatric patient, here are six complexities to consider. 

As COVID-19, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus infection, continues to ravage the world, medical providers have had to change virtually everything about how they practice. Suctioning a patient is no exception. Providers once only had to weigh the risks and benefits of suctioning to the patient. Now they must also consider how suctioning might endanger their own health, and how it might imperil subsequent patients if they become infected. 

Airway suctioning can generate dangerous aerosols that effectively transmit the virus. In emergency scenarios, Suction Assisted Laryngoscopy and Airway Decontamination (SALAD) may offer a lower-risk alternative to traditional airway suctioning.

Overweight or obese patients can present suctioning difficulties. Because most American adults are overweight or obese, medical providers must train in the treatment of bariatric patients. These patients are highly susceptible to airway difficulties, particularly during surgery. The following strategies can help you effectively suction bariatric patients, even when they present with difficult airways.

Suctioning a trach tube can help keep tracheostomy patients healthy, clear the airway, and reduce the risk of serious infections. Many trach patients are able to suction their own tubes at home. Some need the assistance of medical providers, especially when they are hospitalized, suffering respiratory distress, or have other comorbidities. Here’s what you need to know about trach tube suction.

Waste management has always formed the core of infection prevention. The COVID-19 crisis brings this fact to the fore of every medical provider’s consciousness. Fluid waste disposal and basic suction catheter maintenance are not just boxes to check off on a form. They can mean the difference between life and death, between a pandemic spreading to others or stopping with you. These guidelines can help you manage fluid waste, protect your patients, and stop the spread of contagious infections.

Nasopharyngeal and nasotracheal suctioning are safe, effective alternatives to oral suctioning, especially for patients with oral obstructions such as loose dentures or patients who are unable to cooperate with oral suctioning. Though the procedures are similar, nasotracheal suctioning requires deeper penetration. Here’s what you need to know about these two important interventions.

Tracheostomies are highly prevalent, particularly in long-term skilled nursing facilities and intensive care units, and so all medical providers must master tracheostomy secretion management. Tracheostomy reduces cough strength, lowers subglottic pressure, and weakens sensations in the pharynx and larynx. This causes secretions to accumulate in the airway, although the volume and thickness of the secretions vary significantly from patient to patient. Medical professionals, first responders, and patients with tracheostomies must learn how to manage tracheostomy secretions to improve patient comfort and reduce the risk of infection, aspiration, and other compilations.

Whether you’re performing routine suctioning during surgical procedures, suctioning a patient on a ventilator, or performing life-saving procedures to prevent or reduce aspiration, diligent suction canister management is critical to proper patient care. Particularly as concerns about a global flu or coronavirus pandemic mount, your agency must work proactively to reduce the risk of transmitting contagious diseases via equipment such as suction machines. Here are five things you need to know about suction canister management.