Aspiration catheter: tool description

When a person is injured or during surgery, it is sometimes difficult for him to spit his own sputum from the respiratory tract. For this, there is a special medical instrument - an aspiration catheter. Its use greatly facilitates the work of medical staff.

Appointment

The concept of "aspiration" is the "suction" effect that occurs when a low pressure is created. It is also often used to conduct procedures when it is necessary to create a vacuum in the collection of biological fluids.

When performing operations or in the postoperative period, a special medical instrument is inserted into the patient's throat - an aspiration catheter. It is necessary in order to remove phlegm from the respiratory tract, since a man alone can not do this. Intended catheters for cleaning the patient's trachea and bronchi. The instruments are absolutely safe.

When the patient is on artificial ventilation, when he can not breathe without a tracheostomy or bronchodracheal tube, his respiratory tracts are filled with phlegm and mucus. To remove them, an aspiration probe is used. It depends on its quality, how much the procedure of pumping out secretions will be effective and safe for the patient.

Device of catheters

The aspiration catheter consists of three functional parts: the body, the atraumatic end and the connector. Let's consider each part in more detail.

Body. It is a transparent tube of white, colorless plastic, about fifty centimeters long. Specially treated, to facilitate entry into the respiratory tract, the surface makes the catheter satin-smooth. The catheter should not be too elastic, hard, but not too soft. In the first case, it can scratch the mucous membrane of the trachea. In the second - to slip on the suction of sputum. Catheters are equipped with radiopaque bands to determine the position of the device in the human body.

Atraumatic end. Serves for sanitation. Rounded and processed to prevent damage to the walls of the tract. A little above it are two oval holes, designed for additional mucus removal.

Aspiration catheter has one more part - a connector. It is located at the opposite end of the tube and connects to the aspirator. The latter is designed for suction of mucous masses. Thus, the connector is a valve for regulating the pressure in the suction tube. It is enough to press the finger to adjust the suction process.

Connectors are represented in the market by several kinds. The guideline for determining the diameter of the catheter is its color. The smallest is green, and the largest is yellow.

Safety precautions

The aspirating catheter with vacuum control should be used in compliance with safety regulations. By diameter, it should be half the time of the respiratory tract, otherwise the patient may just suffocate.

When injected, the suction must be switched off. Then it turns on for five seconds, turns off and then starts working again at the specified time. It is only at such intervals that sputum suction is allowed.

When using a catheter with a closed aspiration system, it can be left in the breathing circuit for up to twenty-four hours.

Benefits

The use of such a modern medical instrument, such as an aspiration catheter, helps medical personnel to work, facilitates the necessary procedures, and monitors the condition of patients. But at the same time, such equipment requires professional knowledge and skills. It is inadmissible to use a person absolutely unknown to him.