nasal then oral suctioning

[chele44]

Ok...I was told that if you use a catheter for suctioning, you should do the nasal route first then oral b/c the mouth is dirtier. But I had student nurses come on our unit and their instructor told them to do oral first then nasal because "you wouldn't eat your boogers, right?". Am I missing something?

[jemeko]

Ok...I was told that if you use a catheter for suctioning, you should do the nasal route first then oral b/c the mouth is dirtier. But I had student nurses come on our unit and their instructor told them to do oral first then nasal because "you wouldn't eat your boogers, right?". Am I missing something?

ok what really matters is neither one is sterile, and if a patient is having airway difficulty who cares. but if this is for testing purposes nasal mouth first if you see mucous buildup, but nasal first if you need to suction the mucous out of their nose

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i was taught mouth first in NS

[Boog'sCRRN246, RN]

I was taught nasopharyngeal suctioning as a sterile procedure (don't ask, my school is very anal about things). Also taught to suction nasally first, then orally...and if you're cleaning the suction catheter between suctionings with the water that comes in the kit (some kits) then why would the patient be "eating their boogers"? So gross.

[sunnycalifRN]

I was taught nasopharyngeal suctioning as a sterile procedure (don't ask my school is very anal about things). Also taught to suction nasally first, then orally...and if you're cleaning the suction catheter between suctionings with the water that comes in the kit (some kits) then why would the patient be "eating their boogers"? So gross.[/quote']

nasopharyngeal suctioning cannot be sterile because you're contaminating the catheter big time as you pass through the nose. And for that matter, nasotracheal suctioning cannot be sterile for the same reasons.

Maybe you mean tracheal suctioning (via a trach)? That should always be treated as a sterile procedure because the uninfected respiratory tract is sterile.

Regarding the order, I don't know. Use two catheters.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

long time ago, i was taught mouth, then nose, with the rationale that the NOSE was dirtier than the mouth

[meandragonbrett]

I don't use the same catheter for the nose and the mouth. Two catheters every time. That's just gross.

[caliotter3]

I don't use the same catheter for the nose and the mouth. Two catheters every time. That's just gross.

Used to work with a patient who was a super secreter. We consistently used two separate catheters and spent a GOOD deal of time suctioning!

[GN Dave]

We were taught to suction the mouth first, then the nose, because many people will gasp and inhale when you suction their nose... this causes them to aspirate the secretions from their mouth. It is especially true with infants and children...

[Boog'sCRRN246, RN]

"Maybe you mean tracheal suctioning (via a trach)? That should always be treated as a sterile procedure because the uninfected respiratory tract is sterile."

lol oops, I did...thanks!

[chelynn]

The only thing I remember about it is when suctioning an infant to suction nose first because they are obligitory nose breathers.

[VegetasGRL03RN]

I'm going to my fourth (and last!) semester in NS and the instructors as well as our textbook taught us to suction the nose first, then the mouth d/t the mouth being "dirtier" than the nose. Surprising how material differs amongst current students. Anyone know who would be the governing body on this?