There were more than 5,300 choking deaths in 2021. Aspiration remains alarmingly common and accounts for about 15.8% of community-acquired pneumonia cases. This means airway management remains a critical and life-saving tool for EMS responders. Whether it’s intubating a choking victim, clearing the airway in a patient suffering from pneumonia, or dealing with the aftermath of aspiration, suction catheters are an essential tool in every first responder’s kit.

 

In 2022, there were 647 mass shootings, and as of mid-year 2023, there have already been more than 300. Tactical medical response requires a different skill set and approach than that required when an elder falls, or a child has a choking episode. Tactical medical injuries are high-stakes, and first responders must provide prompt care in a high-stress environment where split-second decisions can be a matter of life and death.

Emergency medicine is constantly evolving, and new technologies and techniques are emerging all the time. While it is great to embrace innovation, we sometimes less value is placed on basic skills, such as oral suctioning. As an EMS provider, you must adapt to new technologies and techniques but always focus on your most basic skills.

 

Imagine sitting through a visit with the dentist without the use of suction. Medical suction machines allow dentists, periodontists, and oral surgeons the ability to keep the airway clear while performing critical treatments.

 

Quickly and efficiently hooking up your portable suction machine can save precious seconds, preventing hypoxia and reducing the risk of serious respiratory complications. It should only take a few seconds, but if you’ve never done it before, the process can feel overwhelming and frustrating.

 

It’s important that your team regularly drill the process, particularly if using suction machines is an infrequent part of your job with which team members have little practice. Here are the basic steps for getting your machine ready to go. 

 

As an emergency responder, you know that no two patients are exactly alike. Sure, you may employ the same protocols, such as ACLS during a code or PHTLS for a trauma victim, but each patient presents unique challenges, and you must be able to customize your treatment strategy.

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.

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. 

 

Oral suctioning in a controlled environment is a luxury that just doesn’t happen very often for first responders. For patients with an airway emergency requiring intubation, you rely on equipment that is efficient, rugged, and safe in order to quickly and safely intubate and secure your patients’ airways. Effective suctioning makes a difference – perhaps even a life-saving difference – in a resuscitated patient.