Yankauer Suction Cath

[TLC RN]

Do any of you have a formal or informal protocol of how to handle or replace the yankauer suction catheters? I am working in an ICU as a student and noticed the cath will be under the pillow, hanging on the bedrail, in the wrapper, outside the wrapper, on the floor etc. I was just wondering if anyone had guidelines on how to store it while it was not in use and if you were to be washed and gloved before using it.

Thanks for any input.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good question. We ususally return them to the wrapper when not in use. Sometimes patients use them themselves and indeed leave them lying anywhere. Since it's not a sterile procedure and just cleans up trach and oral secretions, I've never paid it much mind. I replace them when sediment piles up. I don't wash them with each use, but definately don gloves.

[PedsER-RN, BSN, RN]

do any of you have a formal or informal protocol of how to handle or replace the yankauer suction catheters? i am working in an icu as a student and noticed the cath will be under the pillow, hanging on the bedrail, in the wrapper, outside the wrapper, on the floor etc. i was just wondering if anyone had guidelines on how to store it while it was not in use and if you were to be washed and gloved before using it.

thanks for any input.

i've never seen a formal p/p on handling/replacing yankeurs in my facility. if i am caring for a pt who needs sxn, i try to keep it b/w the stretcher frame and the mattress, in the little plastic wrapper. in some situations, the wrapper gets lost, so then the sxn cath is touching the sheets or it's hooked on the sxn canister. if it touches the floor, i replace it. using one that's touched our floors would be like licking a trash can-there's all sorts of stuff that comes into contact with the floors, and if i were a pt, i sure wouldn't want that in my mouth!

[leslie :-D]

i think one needs to use common sense in knowing when to change it. i too keep the catheter in its' wrapper. and i would never let it touch the floor either. plus if the pt has been vomited and i'm doing a clean sweep, depending on the characteristics of the emesis, i often change it then too.

leslie

[thumperRN]

We usually try to put a piece of tape on it somewhere with the date on it and change it every 24 hours unless it needs it sooner. I usually just keep in the wrapper, too. If the wrapper is lost we still try to store it on top of the container. Since it's not sterile, it's not really an issue of infection control unless of course it's sitting in the urinal.

[CarVsTree]

We have little sleeves with sticky back that we can attach to the side rails. We put it there. We also now have covered "yankauers" and those are really nice! I agree with the others, if it hits the floor or is all boogered up, I toss it.

[LilRedRN1973]

We have yankaurs that have little plastic sleeves you push down when you want to use them and then push back up to cover the part that actually goes inside the patient's mouth. We put a "Change" and whatever the next day sticker is, so they get changed at least once a day. I will also replace it if it falls on the floor without being covered up or if it gets clogged up with dried sputum, etc.

Melanie = )

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

This is what we do in my NICU - we have a similar product called a "Little Sucker" :chuckle

It comes in a plastic baggie, so we tape this to the bed and store the device there between suctions. If we lose the bag, we just use another baggie - usually the ones pharmacy sends our meds in, or those lab collection baggies. To keep the device clean, we clear it out by suctioning sterile water through it after each use. Then we'll wipe the outside of it clean with a sterile gauze pad. I know it doesn't all have to be sterile, it's just that what we have on hand happens to be sterile.

They stay pretty clean with this technique, and we rarely have to replace them. Ours are pretty expensive little things and we don't often get new shipments, so we typically give one to each baby (if even necessary, usually it's to larger babies or those medically paralyzed) and that's it. If we have dish soap available, we'll hand wash them with hot water over the sink and air dry.

And while I know adults have different secretions than babies, there are still some pretty disgusting things that you can suction out of a sick infant!

[pugmum]

We suck a bit of NS through after we are done suctioning to clear the catheter and tubing, then put the Yaunker back in its wrap then in the holder. If it hits the floor or any other surface, it gets tossed. Its not sterile, but you want to think about where that suction tip was before it touches the pts. mouth....if you wouldn't put it in your mouth, don't put it in theirs.

So if its dirty or plugged, it gets replaced and we keep it in its wrapper.

[Nightwatcher735]

As described in some of the earlier posts, there are commercially-available "holsters" now for Yanks. In my RT days, we always basically did the NS flush thing and replaced it in the wrapper at the BS with one extra step- after the flush, we'd wipe the exterior of the tip with an alcohol swab, then put it in the wrapper.

That's an excellent point about thinking about where it's been before it touches the pt. If you think about it, the NS flush alone doesn't do much for the exterior of the catheter, and if it's all crudded up when you put it back in the wrapper, you could be growing an interesting "science project" in there between uses! Once the inside of the wrapper's good and contaminated, you're back to square one!

E-w-w-w-w!

[nursepenny]

I always use the package the catheter comes in to store until needed. I usually hang this near the suction canister, within easy reach. I have never washed a catheter (per se), but do keep a cup of water near to rinse the cath and tubing after use.

And of course I always, always wear gloves when suctioning the mouth

[TypicalFish]

Do any of you have a formal or informal protocol of how to handle or replace the yankauer suction catheters? I am working in an ICU as a student and noticed the cath will be under the pillow, hanging on the bedrail, in the wrapper, outside the wrapper, on the floor etc. I was just wondering if anyone had guidelines on how to store it while it was not in use and if you were to be washed and gloved before using it.

Thanks for any input.

I used to tape the wrapper (short-end) to the bedrail and return the yankauer to that; however, now, even though I like the above method-the yankauer is secure, I usually fold a washcloth over it and stick it under the pillow-but not always. I do this now because one of the educators on our ICU has found research that states that placing the yankauer back in the package allows secretions to collect at the bottom of the bag and grow "wonderful" things.

While I understand this thought process, I also question it to some degree for a couple of reasons-1) I get a new yankauer at the beginning of my shift and 2) I usually rinse the yankauer out by suctioning a small amount of h2o through it after using it on patient, and then letting it run dry (it only takes a few extra seconds). I also change it if it is nasty or hits the floor. It seems unlikely that much will grow in 12 hours, plus even if you keep it in a different spot, if it is that pathogen-filled, it will likely just grow bacteria within the yankauer itself, or in the little ridge where yankauer meets suction tubing. The research makes sense if you don't change it or rinse it. And having it secured near the bed is better than finding it on the floor when you suddenly need it.