Which of the following is a recommended guideline for determining suction catheter depth when suctioning an endotracheal tube?
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In This Section The upper airway warms, cleans and moistens the air we breathe. The trach tube bypasses these mechanisms, so that the air moving through the tube is cooler, dryer and not as clean. In response to these changes, the body produces more mucus. Suctioning clears mucus from the tracheostomy tube and is essential for proper breathing. Also, secretions left in the tube could become contaminated and a chest infection could develop. Avoid suctioning too frequently as this could lead to more secretion buildup. Removing mucus from trach tube without suctioning
When to suctionSuctioning is important to prevent a mucus plug from blocking the tube and stopping the patient's breathing. Suctioning should be considered
The secretions should be white or clear. If they start to change color, (e.g. yellow, brown or green) this may be a sign of infection. If the changed color persists for more than three days or if it is difficult to keep the tracheostomy tube intact, call your surgeon's office. If there is blood in the secretions (it may look more pink than red), you should initially increase humidity and suction more gently. A Swedish or artificial nose (HME), which is a cap that can be attached to the tracheostomy tube, may help to maintain humidity. The cap contains a filter to prevent particles from entering the airway and maintains the patient's own humidity. Putting the patient in the bathroom with the door closed and shower on will increase the humidity immediately. If the patient coughs up or has bright red blood mucus suctioned, or if the patient develops a fever, call your surgeon's office immediately. How to suctionEquipment
Whether you're crossing the country or the globe, we make it easy to access world-class care at Johns Hopkins. What is measured to determine depth of suctioning?Determine the safe suction depth for suctioning by measuring the length of the ET tube, including the adapter. Document the safe suction depth and, when suctioning, do not advance the catheter beyond the point where this measurement can be seen in the catheter window.
How do you calculate suction catheter depth for ETT?One method to calculate the French (Fr) suction catheter size is: Fr = (ETT size [mm] – 1) x 2, which is relatively accurate. A suction catheter with an outer diameter that occludes less than 40% of the ETT internal diameter may be insufficient to clear secretions, necessitating the use of multiple passes.
Which guideline is recommended for determining suction catheter?The current American Association for Respiratory Care clinical practice guidelines recommend choosing suction catheter size based on the external diameter of the suction catheter and the internal diameter of the endotracheal tube: a ratio of < 50% is recommended, to prevent suctioning-related complications, including ...
What is the proper size of a suction catheter to be used through an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube?The suction catheter should not be any larger than half of the internal diameter of the endotracheal or tracheostomy tube (Table 10-1).
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