airway suctioning

airway suctioning,

a nursing intervention from the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) defined as removal of airway secretions by inserting a suction catheter into the patient's oral airway and/or trachea. See also Nursing Interventions Classification.

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suctioning [suk´shun-ing]

removal of material through the use of negative pressure, as in suctioning an operative wound during and after surgery to remove exudates, or suctioning of the respiratory passages to remove secretions that the patient cannot remove by coughing. Suctioning of the nose and mouth is a relatively simple procedure requiring only cleanliness and sensible care in the removal of liquids obstructing the nasal and oral passages. Suctioning of the deeper respiratory structures (deep or endotracheal suctioning) demands special skill and meticulous care to avoid traumatizing the delicate mucous membranes and introducing infection into the respiratory tree.



Another complication arising from improper tracheal suctioning is hypoxia, which occurs when prolonged suctioning removes the oxygen from the patient's airway and thus adds to existing respiratory distress. The use of a catheter too large in diameter can cause obstruction of the bronchus and subsequent collapse of a lobe of the lung. Because of the potential hazards inherent in the procedure, tracheal suctioning should be reserved only for those patients too weak and debilitated to cough up thick and tenacious sputum. When deep suctioning is necessary, it should be done only by those persons who are skillful in the technique and knowledgeable about the complications that can result from improper use of the suctioning equipment. Guidelines for suctioning patients in either acute care settings or the home have been published by the American Association for Respiratory Care and are available on their web site at http://www.aarc.org.

airway suctioning in the nursing interventions classification, a nursing intervention defined as removal of airway secretions by inserting a suction catheter into the patient's oral airway and/or trachea.