Question

A 58 year-old male patient is receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU on the following settings: VC,SIMV, VT 650 mL, f 12/min, FIO2 0.65, PEEP 10 cmH2O. He has a large amount of thick, yellow secretions. How should the respiratory therapist suction this patient?

A. Limit suction time to 5 seconds or less.
B. Use a closed-system suction catheter.
C. Suction Q1H and PRN.
D. Use a 10 Fr suction catheter.

Answer 1

The patient should be suctioned with a closed-system suction catheter, limiting suction time to prevent hypoxemia, and using the properly sized catheter suited to the patient's airway.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 58-year-old male patient in the ICU who is receiving mechanical ventilation and has thick, yellow secretions should be suctioned using a closed-system suction catheter. This method minimizes oxygen desaturation and limits the potential for contamination associated with disconnecting the ventilator circuit. While suctioning, the suction time should be limited to prevent hypoxemia; usually, no more than 10-15 seconds.

The size of the suction catheter should be appropriate for the patient's airway; a larger catheter, such as 14 Fr, may be more efficient in this case. Suctioning should be performed as needed, which may be more frequent due to the nature of the secretions, but routine suctioning should not be overly frequent as it can cause harm.