When you think of in-hospital suction, you probably picture the typical wall-mounted unit that is supplied by vacuum lines piped throughout the building. What may not come readily to mind are portable suction units, but portable suction plays a vital role in the hospital setting. Let's familiarize ourselves with in-hospital suction strategies.

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.

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.

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?

CPR, ACLS, NRP, PAL. As a nurse, you are likely familiar with some, if not all, of these acronyms. Early in your career, you were taught the skills to resuscitate a patient in cardiac or respiratory arrest. Every few years, you attend a class to review and renew your certification.

If you are in the market for a portable suction device, you’ll notice that there is a large variety of different products available. Depending upon your intended use, you will need to evaluate several things. Consider, for example:

You understand the importance of clearing your patient’s airway in an emergency. To do this, you know that an appropriate suction device is necessary to remove secretions, vomit, blood, or foreign materials that may be causing an obstruction or distress. You are also aware that your hospital stocks portable suction machines to be used as needed. But have you ever thought about the fact that where you store your portable suction machine makes a difference?

Sometimes portable suction machines get a bad rap. That’s unfortunate because these life-saving devices have come a long way in recent years. Let’s debunk some of the most common fallacies about portable suction machines.

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.

For every 1,000 Americans, about 404 made an emergency room visit to a community hospital in 2018. That’s more than 40% of the total population. And this number doesn’t even include millions of hospital inpatient stays or outpatient procedures, further emphasizing the importance—and challenges—of providing quality care every time someone walks in or is wheeled in the door.