5 FAQs About Nasotracheal Suctioning | 合法醫療器材資訊網

When your patient cannot mobilize and clear secretions independently, you may need to suction their airway[1]. Your suctioning method will depend on whether the patient has an artificial airway and what portion of the airway needs to be cleared.

Nasotracheal suction is one of the common methods used to maintain a patent airway. A flexible catheter is inserted through the nose and pharynx into the trachea to remove secretions, blood, vomit, or other foreign materials.

Let’s review some frequently asked questions regarding this procedure, following the American Association for Respiratory Care’s Clinical Practice Guidelines[2] for Nasotracheal Suctioning.

The presence of visible or audible secretions is the clearest indication. You may also notice your patient working harder to breathe or acting restless and uncomfortable. On auscultation, you may hear coarse or di...