What are the steps for suctioning sputum in newborns?

Generally speaking, if there are too many secretions in the respiratory tract of a newborn and they are not discharged in time, the presence of the secretions may suppress its respiratory function to a certain extent. In severe cases, death may occur. At this time, suctioning can help it discharge the secretions smoothly. So, what are the steps of suctioning newborns? Let me give you a detailed introduction below, and I hope you can understand it.

Suctioning is a commonly used nursing operation technique in clinical practice. The purpose of suctioning is to suck out respiratory secretions, keep the respiratory tract open, and maintain effective ventilation. The commonly used suction negative pressure for suctioning is <300 mmHg (40.0 kPa) for children. Please follow the instructions of the attending nurse for specific values.

1. Wash your hands and wear a mask.

2. Prepare all the equipment, bring them to the patient's bedside, check them, and explain to the patient the purpose of the operation and how to cooperate.

3. Connect the power supply, turn on the switch, and check whether the performance of the suction device is good and the connection is correct.

4. Adjust the negative pressure according to the patient's condition and sputum viscosity. The negative pressure of the suction device is generally adjusted to 40.0~53.3KPa. Use normal saline to try suction and check whether the catheter is unobstructed.

5. Turn the patient's head toward the operator. For unconscious patients, a tongue depressor or mouth opener can be used to help the patient open his mouth. Use one hand to fold the end of the catheter (where it connects to the glass tube) to prevent negative pressure from adsorbing the mucosa and causing damage. Use sterile forceps in your other hand to hold the tip of the suction catheter and insert it into the patient's oral pharynx. Step on the suction switch to loosen the end of the catheter. First, suck out the secretions in the oral and pharyngeal areas. Then replace the suction tube. When the patient inhales, insert the suction tube through the throat into the trachea to a certain depth (about 15 cm). Pull the suction tube upward from the deep inside, rotate it left and right, and suck out the sputum. Each suctioning time should not exceed 15 seconds to avoid hypoxia for the patient.

6. If it is difficult to suction sputum from the mouth, suction can be performed from the nasal cavity; for those with endotracheal intubation or tracheotomy, sputum can be suctioned from the endotracheal tube or endotracheal cannula, and aseptic techniques must be strictly followed.

7. During the suction process, wipe off the sprayed secretions at any time, observe the changes in respiratory rate before and after suction, and pay attention to the properties, quantity and color of the aspirated material, and keep records.

8. After suctioning, turn off the suction switch, soak the suction tube for disinfection, and insert the suction glass tube into a test tube containing disinfectant and soak it.

9. Observe whether the patient's breathing has improved, assist the patient to assume a comfortable lying position, and tidy up the patient's belongings.

The above article has described in detail the specific operating steps of suction treatment for newborns. I believe that parents of newborns who need suction treatment have a clear understanding of the specific process of suction operation. Here we need to remind everyone that if there is too much secretion in the respiratory tract of the newborn, parents should take them for suction treatment as soon as possible.