Airway Management: Best Practices for Suctioning Secretions

What is the best practice for suctioning copious secretions from a semiconscious adult's airway?

Please select the correct option:
A: avoid touching the back of the airway with the suction catheter.
B: suction for up to 20 seconds while withdrawing the catheter.
C: use a flexible catheter because it will remove the secretions faster.
D: apply suction as you carefully insert the catheter into the mouth.

Answer:

The best practice while suctioning secretions from a semiconscious adult's airway is to avoid touching the airway back with the suction catheter. Apply suction while withdrawing the catheter for less than 20 seconds to prevent hypoxia.

When suctioning copious secretions from a semiconscious adult's airway, the best practice would be to avoid touching the back of the airway with the suction catheter. This is to prevent any unnecessary trauma to the airway, which could cause further complications. Suction should be applied whilst withdrawing the catheter, which should take less than 20 seconds to avoid hypoxia.

It must also be noted that during general anesthesia, muscles that are necessary for breathing and moving the tongue are affected, thus the tongue can relax and partially or fully block the airway, and the muscles of respiration may not move the diaphragm or chest wall. The safest procedure in such cases is endotracheal intubation. This procedure involves placing a tube into the trachea to maintain an (open) airway to the lungs and to seal off the airway from the oropharynx.