Plastic catheters vs. rubber catheters for trach suctioning

[60571]

There was a disagreement at work tonight about which type of suction catheter should be used to suction an established trach. We have the option of using a flexible plastic suction catheter which is also used for NT suctioning or a rubber suction catheter. Is there any harm in using the NT suction kit for suctioning established trachs? It was put out in our staff mtg yesterday that we should be using the NT suction catheters for all suctioning including trach suctioning because they are cheaper. This is the type of suction catheter I was taught to use in nursing school and the only type of catheter that was stocked on the floor at my previous job. There is alot of resistance from the staff nurses about using this catheter for trach care. Any insight or research would be helpful! Thanks.

[lvICU]

At the facility that I work, we only use the rubber catheters if the trach procedure was traumatic or if the patient develops bleeding from frequent suctioning. Otherwise we use the inline suction kits (Ballards) or the NT suction kits.

[qcumba]

We use closed suction - Ballards - for all trachs,except for with metal trachs,with those we use soft suction catheters and do q4hrly inner tube care to prevent blockage

[meandragonbrett]

14 french suction catheters are adequate for suctioning a trach when they are on trach collar. The only time we use a red rubber cath is if there are a lot of blood clots/active bleeding at the site/DIC, etc.

[dmc_rrt]

I have worked at two hospitals. The first we used Red rubber caths. and I really liked them, because they caused less trauma to the pt. The second hospital is latex free, so we only use plastic sxn caths. For the most part they work fine, but I see frank blood being sxn'd from more pts. trachs due to aggressive sxning. I am always trying to get the second hospital to invest in the rubber caths. especially for nasal deep sxning.