l. Instruct the assistant to hyper oxygenate the patient while you rinse the
catheter by suctioning a small amount of the sterile saline.
m. If secretions are thick, instill 5 cc of sterile normal saline into the tracheostomy
tube and suction again.
Figure 2-5. Tracheostomy suctioning.
n. Repeat the suction procedure until the airway is clear.
(1)
Hyper oxygenate the patient between suctioning.
(2)
Rinse the catheter between suctioning.
o. Reconnect the patient to the ventilator if one is in use.
p. Perform oropharyngeal suctioning, if required.
q. Discard used equipment and restock the patient's bedside with new
equipment.
r. Record the procedure in the Nursing Notes.
MD0917
2-38