Difficult to precisely define and encompassing a wide range of situations, medical errors nevertheless can be devastatingly costly patients and to health care providers. Protecting against these mistakes is expensive, as well, with the value of the medical malpractice insurance market estimated by some to be over $17 billion and premiums increasing rapidly in recent years.

You are called to the nursing home to treat a “patient choking.” Upon arrival, you are rushed to the room of an elderly man who has suffered three previous strokes, resulting in limited mobility and significant speech impairment. Fortunately, the patient is no longer choking. Swift action on the part of the staff prevented an airway obstruction, and the patient is now resting comfortably. But is he truly out of danger? 

In prehospital and emergency settings, oral suctioning may be overlooked as a basic task that is performed without harm to the patient. The reality is, oral suctioning is not without its risks and complications. In addition to complications related to the procedure itself, oral suctioning complications may arise because of ineffective or incorrect technique. Let’s explore the various oral suctioning procedure complications and discuss ways you can prevent them in your patients.

Cardiac arrest is a nightmare scenario for most first responders. Recent research suggests survival rates are as low as 6 percent when cardiac arrest happens outside the hospital. Immediate intervention is required, but if suctioning is required, treating a patient in cardiac arrest can be challenging. Here’s what you need to know about the procedure.

When you think of suctioning, you generally think of a straightforward, yet lifesaving, procedure. For the most part, it is a relatively basic skill that can make a world of difference in your patient’s outcome. But even the simplest treatments must be performed using proper technique. As a quick review, the airway is divided into upper and lower structures.

Medicine is an ever-changing ecosystem. As technology improves, new equipment is created that performs better, is safer, and easier to use. However, some devices withstand the test of time and have been with us for decades and its design will be with us into the future, albeit with some modern touches.

Users of battery powered portable suction devices often comment that it “sucks”. This can be interpreted two ways–either negatively or positively. When the negative sentiment applies, there’s no need to despair or throw the unit across the room

Even in a brand new hospital with all of the latest technology, systems are not completely foolproof. As a medical professional, the more you can anticipate problems, the more prepared you will be to handle them and advanced planning may help avoid a potential crisis.

A hospital visit can save a patient’s life. It can also destroy it if they pick up a virulent healthcare-associated infection (HAI). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that on any given day, 1 in 31 hospital patients have at least one HAI. 

The Yankauer suction catheter has a long and storied history in both emergency medicine and routine care. Developed in 1907, it has been a mainstay of airway management for more than a century. Dr. Yankauer was a groundbreaking provider in his time, who wanted to carefully suction surgical patients without damaging delicate tissue.