NASAL SUCTIONING

PROCEDURE:

1. The patient may sit on the bed or a
2. If he wants to lie down, he should have a pillow under his head and shoulders.
3. Wash your hands
4. Fill the glass container with saline solution (salt water). To make saline, dissolve 1 level teaspoon of salt in 2 cups of tap
5. Attach the sucker to the
6. Dip the tip of the sucker in saline. Cover the open port of the connector with your thumb to make a suction. Suction a small amount of saline through the tubing to make sure it is
7. Gently insert the sucker into a nostril. Keep the end of the connector open while inserting the sucker. Cover the open end of the connector and suction out the mucus.
8. Start pulling the sucker out of your child’s nose. You may need to suction more than
9. Suction mucus from the mouth if necessary. Do not suction the mouth first. (This could cause germs to get into the respiratory )
10. Suction saline through the tubing a few times during suctioning.

HOW TO CLEAN THE EQUIPMENT:

1. Use syringe to force soapy water through catheter
2. All equipment should be cleaned every day. If disposable catheters are used, you may skip steps 2 through 5 below.
3. Wash the suction machine jar and tubing in soapy water and rinse
4. Bring the water to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and boil for 10 minutes. Let it
5. Place the clean, sterilized catheters in the jar labeled “Clean” and cover the
6. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or nurse.

WHEN DO YOU NEED TO SUCTION?

• If the patient make’s choking noises or gurgling
• If patient coughs
• You may hear a rattling in patient’s
• When you touch the chest with the flat of your hand, you may feel a “rattling.
• An infant may have trouble
• If the lips may be blue or grey in

EQUIPMENTS:

• Electric portable suction pump
• 2 sets of tubing (for electric pump)
• 16-ounce glass container
• Adult/pediatric sucker
• Salt
• Tissues
• 10-mL. syringe

AFTER SUCTION:

• Suction saline through the tubing a few times after suctioning to clean the mucus out of the
• Your patient may need to rest and be comforted after suctioning.