Question

The nurse must suction a child with a tracheostomy. Interventions should include which of the following?

a. Encourage child to cough to raise the secretions before suctioning.
b. Select a catheter with diameter three fourths as large as the diameter of the tracheostomy tube.
c. Each pass of the suction catheter should take no longer than 5 seconds.
d. Allow child to rest after every five times the suction catheter is passed.

Answer 1

When suctioning a child with a tracheostomy, interventions should include encouraging the child to cough, selecting an appropriate catheter size, limiting suction time, and allowing the child to rest after every five passes of the suction catheter.

Step-by-step explanation:

When suctioning a child with a tracheostomy, interventions should include the following:

1. Encourage the child to cough to raise secretions before suctioning. Coughing can help loosen and mobilize secretions, making suctioning more effective.
2. Select a catheter with a diameter three fourths as large as the diameter of the tracheostomy tube. This ensures that the catheter can effectively remove secretions without causing trauma to the airway.
3. Each pass of the suction catheter should take no longer than 5 seconds. Prolonged suctioning can lead to complications such as hypoxia or injury to the airway.
4. Allow the child to rest after every five times the suction catheter is passed. This helps reduce the risk of complications and gives the child a break from the procedure.