Suctioning

[SDog]

Disclaimer... I'm currently on my surgery rotation.

The issue is that if you want it to be truely sterile, you're going to need a mask, hair cover, and sterile gloves, at a minimum. Otherwise it isn't sterile in the strictest sense, and definitely anything touched with exam gloves is no longer sterile. Sterile and clean are two completely different things. There's a reason why the suction catheters in care facilities are encased in plastic for easy and repeated use.

/Yes, sometimes I get too pedantic

Clean hand and dirty hand

 

[7887firemedic]

Could I just point out we teach parents how to deep suction kids who are sent home with trachs?

Yep, not that difficult, and obviously better for everyone than calling ems or a ed visit everytime the pt needs suctioned

And they get more experience doing it than the average paramedic will in their entire career

Probably, although its quite frequent with services that cover nursing homes and take pts on wait and return dr appts. I have dealt with some horrible trach conditions

So you can scrub and gown in the ambulance?

Haha, i realize how silly a sterile enviroment concept is for the box, that is a quote from protocols-laugh. Although im sure it refers to dont pull out the cath with your bare hands, drop it on the floor, maybe pick your nose, pick it up and procede to perform tracheal suctioning

 

[7887firemedic]

Disclaimer... I'm currently on my surgery rotation.

Good for you,that is so awesome!! I look up to the Drs on here and always try to read thier posts. No sarcasm meant.