Overview of Airway Suctioning
Sucking out fluid from the airway, or ‘airway suctioning’, is a common procedure that happens in many places such as hospitals, longer-term health centers, and even at home. It’s needed when a patient can’t get rid of fluids building up in their breathing system on their own. This build-up could be because a lot of fluid is being produced or because they can’t get rid of it properly.
When this happens, fluids can collect in both the upper and lower parts of the respiratory system. This can potentially block the airway making it hard for air to flow in and out. The main problem with this is it can affect how well the cells in your body work. This is because it interferes with the exchange of gases, more specifically oxygen and carbon dioxide, which is very important for our cells to function properly.
Anatomy and Physiology of Airway Suctioning
The type of machinery that doctors use to suction, or remove, substances from your airway depends on several key factors:
1) The resources available – This could mean what tools and machines the hospital or doctor’s office has access to.
2) The doctor or caregiver’s experience and skills.
3) The specific area of the airway that needs to be cleaned out, or suctioned.
Generally, the human airway, where our body takes in and expels air, can be split into two main parts:
1) The upper airway – This includes your mouth, nose, and the tubes that connect your mouth and nose to the tube running down your throat (the pharynx).
2) The lower airway – This contains the windpipe (trachea) that brings air down into the lungs, the major branches off your windpipe that split air into each lung (bronchi), and finally the little air sacs at the end of these branches where oxygen is absorbed by the body (alveoli).
Why do People Need Airway Suctioning
Suctioning the airways, or removing stuff from the breathing tubes, is often needed for many reasons. Usually, this procedure is done to get rid of mucus or other fluids that can build up in the lungs or windpipe. At times, it might be needed to remove other substances, like blood or a greenish substance called meconium that can be found in specific situations.
Beyond just cleaning the airways, suctioning can also help doctors diagnose problems. For instance, the stuff that’s removed can be sent to a lab to look for bacteria, viruses, or abnormalities in the cells.
Suctioning is also done to keep clear artificial breathing tubes, like a tube that’s placed in the windpipe through the mouth (an endotracheal tube), or a tube put directly in the windpipe through the neck (a tracheostomy tube). These tubes may be used if someone has trouble breathing on their own.
When a Person Should Avoid Airway Suctioning
Although there are no set rules against it, the doctor must think about the patient’s overall health and potential risks that might happen with suctioning. Suctioning is a procedure where a tube is used to clear out fluids, like mucus or saliva, which could be causing a problem such as difficulty in breathing.
Equipment used for Airway Suctioning
This article is going to explain a medical procedure performed in an emergency care situation for a patient who has a synthetic breathing tube, or “artificial airway”.
Here are some of the tools and equipment that are used during the procedure:
Firstly, there’s an oxygen source and a vacuum machine with a container for collecting fluids. These machines are carefully measured and calibrated for accuracy. Secondly, the health care providers will be wearing personal protective gear. This includes gloves, face masks, and goggles to keep both them and you safe, and it’s all clean and sterile.
Sterile or germ-free saline, a type of saltwater solution, is also used. Another important tool is a manual resuscitation bag, which is used to help with breathing if required. Monitoring equipment is also crucial for keeping an eye on your body’s vital signs, such as heart and oxygen rate. This usually includes a stethoscope and tools for constantly measuring your pulse and oxygen levels.
A sterile suction catheter is another key tool – this is a thin tube used to remove fluids. Ideally, there should be two of different sizes, with one being smaller than the optimum size required for the procedure. Finally, extra medications might be on hand as needed for your comfort during the procedure.
Who is needed to perform Airway Suctioning?
Doctors, breathing specialists, nurses, and even family caregivers can learn how to do a procedure called airway suctioning. This procedure helps to clear someone’s airways if they’re having trouble breathing.
Preparing for Airway Suctioning
Before starting the medical procedure, it’s important to have all the necessary tools at hand and ideally, a device called a pulse oximeter set up. A pulse oximeter helps measure the oxygen level in your blood. Next, the patient is given a high concentration (100%) of oxygen to breathe in. This can be done using a special type of breathing bag or through a machine if the patient is already on a ventilator (a device that helps with breathing). So, everything is done to ensure the patient is as comfortable and safe as possible during the procedure.
How is Airway Suctioning performed
Let’s discuss a procedure your doctor might perform if you’re having breathing problems, especially if you’re on a ventilator. It’s called airway suctioning, and it can help clear your airways. Before the procedure, you’ll breathe in 100% Oxygen which makes sure your body has enough for the short time when you can’t breathe as normal. This is extremely important, because the procedure sometimes temporarily decreases your body’s oxygen levels.
Your doctor or nurse will use disposable gloves and a one-time use suction tube to make sure everything is clean and no germs are introduced into your airways. They will monitor your heart rate and oxygen level as needed, making sure everything is normal during the procedure. The suction tube should be inserted carefully, only as far as the end of your breathing tube and must not damage the lining of your airway. When choosing the size of the suction tube, it should always be less than half the size of your breathing tube in order to prevent any injuries from occurring.
The American Association of Respiratory Care suggests against using a saltwater solution when sightseeing, and the process should be quick -under 15 seconds. After suctioning, you should be given at least 10-15 seconds to recover and get more oxygen if needed before another round of suction is performed. The healthcare provider will adhere to standard hygiene and cleanliness rules to make sure the procedure is done safely.
There are two types of suctioning that could be done, open or closed. ‘Open suction’ is when you’re disconnected from the ventilator for a short moment while the procedure is carried out. They used to do this a lot. But now, many doctors prefer to user ‘closed suction’. With closed suction, the suction tube is constantly attached to the ventilator setup and you stay connected while the suctioning is performed. It tends to be a safer approach with fewer adverse events. However, it doesn’t help more with reducing the chance of lung infections from the ventilator.
Suction can also be superficial or deep. ‘Superficial suctioning’ involves the suction tube only going in as far as your breathing tube. ‘Deep suctioning’ is when the tube goes in further, until there’s resistance. It can almost reach the point where the windpipe divides into your two lungs. However, superficial suctioning is usually best, as going in deeper can lead to injuries of the airway lining.
Possible Complications of Airway Suctioning
There are various potential complications that could arise from some medical procedures. These include:
Mucosal trauma: This is damage to the tissue lining some organs in the body.
Hypoxemia: This means that there’s less oxygen than normal in the blood, which can lead to difficulty breathing and other problems.
Bronchospasm: This is when the muscles in the lungs tighten, which can make it harder to breathe.
Atelectasis: This happens when part of the lung collapses or doesn’t inflate properly, leading to breathing difficulties.
Infection: Any time a person has a medical procedure, there’s a risk for infection in the area where the procedure was done.
Pneumothorax: This is a collapsed lung, often caused by injury or chest surgery. It can make it very hard to breathe and sometimes requires fast treatment.
Hypotension or hypertension: Low (hypotension) or high (hypertension) blood pressure can be caused by many things and should be monitored after medical procedures.
Cardiac dysrhythmias: This is a general term for a group of conditions in which the heartbeat is irregular, too fast, or too slow. Each of these situations can be serious.
Increased intracranial pressure: This condition happens when there’s too much pressure inside the skull, often because of a brain injury or other medical issue. This can cause a headache, vomiting, and other symptoms, and may it need medical treatment.
What Else Should I Know About Airway Suctioning?
Research has shown that removing fluids from the airways should be done when necessary, or based on certain signs a doctor observes. These signs can include oxygen levels in the blood, how quickly a person is breathing, or if there are visible fluids present in the respiratory system. Removing these fluids in the right way can help decrease blockages in the airways, as well as the occurrence of collapsed air sacs in the lungs. This in turn can lower the risks of low oxygen levels in the blood and problems with gas exchange in the lungs.
