Mastering Oral Suction and Why Proficiency in Oral Suction Matters.

Imagine having a straw that can remove unwanted liquids from someone’s mouth – that’s basically what oral suction does. It’s a medical procedure where we use special equipment to remove extra spit, mucus, and other fluids from a person’s mouth and upper throat when they can’t do it themselves.

Just like how we naturally swallow or cough to clear our throats, oral suction helps people who can’t do these things on their own.

Knowing how to carry out oral suction on a patient struggling to breathe can undoubtedly save a life.

Oral suction machines are advancing, making it easier to help people who need suction. Regular training is important so that staff can use the machines safely and effectively.

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What is Oral Suctioning?

Oral suctioning or oral suction procedure is a medical procedure to clear mouth and throat blockages using a suction device.

Oral suction is used to remove excess mucus, saliva, or secretions from the mouth and upper airway. It helps patients who can’t swallow properly or are unconscious, keeping their airways open.

It is commonly used in healthcare settings, particularly in situations where individuals are unable to effectively clear their airways on their own.

The suction device is typically inserted into the mouth and throat through the lips or nose. The suction pressure is then adjusted to remove the secretions or foreign objects.

Oral suctioning is a safe and effective procedure that can help to prevent complications, such as airway obstruction and aspiration pneumonia.

During oral suctioning, a tube is gently inserted into the mouth to remove fluids, mucus, or debris, ensuring a clear airway.

Trained healthcare professionals perform this procedure, considering patient comfort and safety.

It’s important for preventing respiratory problems and promoting easier breathing in those who can’t clear their own oral secretions.

Why Oral Suction is needed

The main reason we use oral suction is to help people breathe better. Think about how hard it is to breathe when you have a bad cold – now imagine not being able to cough or swallow to clear your throat. That’s where oral suction becomes really important.

It helps:

• Keep airways clear so people can breathe easily
• Remove things that might block breathing
• Keep the mouth clean and healthy
• Stop infections from developing
• Make sure enough oxygen gets into the body

The growing number of older people in the UK means there are more vulnerable elderly residents and patients. If they can’t clear mucus from their lungs or throat, it can quickly lead to breathing problems.

Sometimes, patients with a tube in their throat, like an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube, need help with suctioning. These tubes can also cause more mucus to build up.

There are many reasons a patient might have trouble coughing, such as being heavily sedated or having a neurological issue. You might see these patients during your work.

Helping children who have extra mucus due to respiratory infections can make it easier for them to breathe. This can help avoid complications and help them recover faster.

Allergies and breathing problems are on the rise in the UK. Because of this, health and social care staff often see patients who have trouble clearing mucus from their airways.

When Do We Use Oral Suction?

We don’t use oral suction for everyone – only for people who really need it.

Here are some situations when it’s needed:

1. When someone is too weak to cough or clear their throat
2. If someone is very sick and can’t swallow properly
3. When there’s too much fluid building up in the mouth or throat
4. For people who have breathing tubes
5. When someone is having trouble breathing because of extra fluids
6. After surgery when someone might not be fully awake
7. For people with certain medical conditions that make it hard to clear their throat

Check out our suction training course

The best way to learn suction procedures

The skills and insights involved are clearly focused on using the equipment provided in a correct and timely fashion. This means that suction training with practising medical professionals and some of your own peers is vital.

By discussing and rehearsing the knowledge required, you are more likely to assimilate what you need. This includes developing heightened alertness to the possibility of someone who needs help to maintain or improve their gas exchange.

Assisting patients with removing secretions is a routine task in modern healthcare. However, there seems to be a lack of uniformity in how this is approached. Perhaps due to differing equipment, there is a degree of lack of uniformity in how to proceed.

Having different health and social care organizations using different equipment and techniques is not a problem. This is true as long as the skills and understanding within the staff involved are kept up to date.

This is another reason to take time out of the workplace to attend specialist oral suction training courses.

This way, we can inform you about the latest techniques that are at the cutting edge of modern medicine. 

We communicate these tried and trusted methodologies to keep your skills and understanding up to date. These are transferable skills to any location or situation.

The Equipment We Need

To do oral suction safely, we need several important tools:

1. The Suction Machine:

• Like a medical vacuum cleaner
• Can control how strong the suction is
• Usually has safety features built in
• Can be portable or wall-mounted

2. Suction Tubes:

• Come in different sizes for different needs
• Some are soft (catheters)
• Some are hard (called Yankauer tips)
• Must be clean or sterile

3. Collection Container:

• Catches all the fluid we remove
• Has measurements on the side
• Can be emptied and cleaned
• Shows how much fluid was removed

4. Safety Equipment:

• Clean gloves
• Face masks
• Eye protection
• Clean or sterile supplies

What you need to know about suction

Corrected suction is not simply about being able to spot the risk, act quickly and use the right equipment and technique. It also involves awareness of what could go wrong.

As with many other medical procedures that carers provide daily, having knowledge of the potential risks is important too.

A well-structured suction training course will focus on minimising the side-effects.

Administering suction incorrectly can cause tracheobronchial trauma. A blunt object such as a suction tube can injure the airway structure that supports the trachea and bronchi.

If you don’t act quickly enough or suction is ineffectual, you risk hypoxia in the patient – starving their tissues of oxygen – or inducing a cardiovascular problem.

You could even inadvertently cause a complete or partial collapse of a lung or the lobe of a lung (atelectasis).

There is also the ever-present danger in health care settings that assisting a patient to breathe easier can introduce bacteria into their throat. This can result in an infection.

How to do Oral Suctioning

Oral suctioning is a medical procedure that helps clear out mucus or other fluids from a person’s mouth and throat. You can follow the step by step guide below:

How to Clear Someone’s Mouth and Airway Using Suction

What You Need:

• Suction machine (like a vacuum for the mouth)
• Clean suction tube
• Safety gear (gloves, face mask, eye shield)
• Clean water or salt water
• Towel to keep clothes clean

Getting Ready:

• Tell the person what you’re going to do
• Help them sit up a bit if they can
• Put a towel on their chest

Setting Up:

• Turn on the suction machine
• Make sure it’s not too strong
• Connect the tube

Doing It Safely:

• Put on your safety gear
• Put the tube in their mouth gently (don’t turn on suction yet)
• Turn on suction as you pull the tube out while twisting it
• Only do it for 10-15 seconds (count to 15)
• Let them catch their breath between tries
• Rinse the tube with clean water between each try

Watch The Person:

• Check if they’re okay
• Make sure it’s helping
• Stop if they seem upset

Cleaning Up:

• Throw away used items in the right bins
• Clean the machine
• Put everything away properly

Oral Suctioning Documentation:

• Write what came out (how much, what color, how thick)
• Write how the person felt
• Write if anything went wrong

After You’re Done:

• Clean everything really well
• Make sure the machine is clean and working
• Put new, clean tubes ready for next time
• Throw away all used items in the right bins
• Check all the cleaning was done right

Check on the Person:

• Ask how they feel
• Make sure they’re breathing okay
• Help them get comfortable
• Give them water if they’re allowed
• Check on them again in a little while

Last Steps:

• Write down everything you did
• Write the time and date
• Write how the person felt after
• Write what came out
• Let the next carer know what happened

Important Reminders:

• Always be gentle
• Stop if something seems wrong
• Ask for help if you need it
• Keep checking on the person
• Follow all safety rules

Taking care of someone’s mouth and airway requires getting adequate training in personal care and suction training. If you’re not sure about anything, always ask someone who knows more. Better to ask than make a mistake

5 Common Associated Risks of Oral Suctioning in Healthcare Settings

Oral suctioning, a necessary procedure in healthcare settings, has risks to be aware of. Here are some potential problems:

1. Tissue Damage: If suction is too strong or done incorrectly, it can harm the mouth and throat, causing bleeding or injury.
2. Infection: Inserting a tube into the mouth can introduce germs, leading to infections like pneumonia. Using clean equipment and protective gear helps prevent this.
3. Discomfort: Suctioning can make someone cough, gag, or feel uncomfortable. Close monitoring and comfort measures can help reduce distress.
4. Low Oxygen: Sometimes, suctioning briefly reduces oxygen flow, especially for those with breathing problems. Monitoring oxygen levels and ensuring proper oxygenation is important.
5. Breathing Issues: Suctioning may trigger breathing difficulties in people with respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD. Assessing breathing and using medications as needed can help manage this.

Healthcare professionals should know these risks, follow guidelines, and monitor patients closely during oral suctioning to ensure safety. Proper training and precautions help make the procedure effective and secure.

The intuition to act when breathing issues arise

With all the risks in mind, suction training for health care and social care professionals is still primarily about giving the confidence to act quickly in times of need. Hesitation in these situations can literally put lives at risk.

The trainer needs to prepare the trainee for some rapid decision-making within the context of the patient’s history and medical status.

In even the most pressurised situation, proper suction training can make preparing the patient and the equipment a seamless and swift process.

The trainee needs to know which catheter to use for each situation and patient, and how far to insert it to achieve the desired effect.

It is always advisable to use the smallest catheter possible, as well as the lowest possible negative pressure. The whole procedure should be the subject of the quickest timeframe possible too. However, one needs to ensure that all three of these things – catheter size, pressure, and time – are sufficient to clear the secretions.

Check out our oral suction training course

Training and Learning

Nobody should do oral suction without proper training.

Here’s what training includes:

1. Basic Knowledge:

• Understanding why we need to suction
• Learning about the equipment
• Knowing when to suction
• Understanding safety rules

2. Hands-on Practice:

• Learning with training equipment
• Practicing the right technique
• Understanding what can go wrong
• Learning how to solve problems

3. Safety Training:

• How to keep things clean
• What to do in emergencies
• When to call for help
• How to maintain equipment

Signs That Show Suction is Needed

It’s important to know when someone needs suctioning. Look for:

• Noisy or gurgling breathing
• Visible fluids in the mouth
• Trouble breathing
• Restlessness or anxiety
• Changes in skin color
• Coughing but not clearing secretions

What Makes Good Oral Suction Training?

A Complete Training Plan Should Cover:

1️⃣ Classroom Learning and Hands-on Practice

• Learn about why we do suction
• Practice with real equipment
• Understand breathing problems
• Learn to spot when someone needs help

2️⃣ Signs to Watch For

• Changes in breathing pattern
• Nose flaring (getting wider when breathing)
• Person seems confused or sleepy
• Making grunting sounds
• Skin looks different (pale or bluish)
• Can hear or feel fluid in their throat

3️⃣ Learning Good Technique

• How to do suction safely
• Ways to avoid hurting the person
• Tell the person and their family what you’re doing
• Keep everyone calm and informed

4️⃣ Getting Ready

• Wash hands the right way
• Put on clean gloves and apron
• Get all equipment ready
• Make sure person is sitting up right

5️⃣ During Suction

• Choose the right suction tool
• Use the right amount of suction power
• Be gentle but effective
• Watch how the person responds

6️⃣ After Suction

• Check if the person needs oxygen
• Keep watching their breathing
• Know when to do it again
• Write down what you did

📌 Important Safety Points

• Know when suction isn’t enough
• Learn what to do in emergencies
• Know basic life-saving steps
• Know when to call for help

📝 Keeping Records

• Write down everything you did
• Note any problems
• Tell the right people if something’s wrong
• Keep track of how the person is doing

✔️This training helps you:

• Feel confident doing suction
• Keep people safe
• Know what to do if things go wrong
• Follow all the safety rules

Get more information about Caring for Care training courses for specialist training courses like oral suctioning training, or contact us today using the number at the top of the page (01782 563333).