Elderly people with lung disease should have a sputum suction machine at home.

Author: Liu Yuhe, Chief Physician, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University

Reviewer: Guo Shubin, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Elderly people with lung diseases have weak sputum excretion ability. If you choose to recuperate at home after treatment, it is best to prepare a home sputum suction machine to relieve the symptoms of sputum blocking the respiratory tract in an emergency and avoid worse conditions.

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1. Household suction device: convenient, practical and necessary

As people age, the physiological functions of their respiratory system gradually decline, and the incidence of respiratory diseases increases. If combined with other diseases, symptoms such as poor sputum discharge and sputum blocking the respiratory tract will occur, leading to hypoxia, suffocation, and even respiratory failure.

The household sputum suction device can clean the airway and sputum secretions, can suck out sputum in time, and can also effectively clean vomitus that enters the airway, thereby alleviating and improving the airway obstruction symptoms of the elderly. It is beneficial to the treatment and rehabilitation of the elderly, reduces their pain, and can also facilitate the nursing work of family members.

Therefore, if there is an elderly person suffering from lung disease at home, it is necessary to prepare a home suction machine.

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2. How to use a household handheld suction device

The household handheld sputum suction device has the advantages of easy operation, small size, no noise, and easy cleaning. As long as the operation steps are mastered, patients and their families can use it flexibly at home.

Before using a home handheld suction device, be sure to read the instructions carefully to avoid secondary harm to the patient due to improper use. The specific steps are as follows.

Install the suction pump correctly.

Check whether the suction device is functioning normally and whether the suction tube is unobstructed.

Connect the suction tube to the suction device.

Check the liquid storage bottle and operating handle, and connect them according to the steps.

Before use, confirm once again whether the connection is normal. Before operation, test suction with clean water to determine whether there is any leakage to ensure that there will be no unexpected situation during use.

Ask the elderly to lift their head slightly, open their mouth, and insert the suction tube into the appropriate part of their mouth. At the same time, pull the lever of the suction device as quickly as possible to suck out the liquid that needs to be sucked out.

There are two points to note when doing this: ① If you are not very skilled in the operation, you can have two people work together. One person holds the handle of the suction device to suction the sputum, and the other person assists, observing the elderly's consciousness, lips, breathing frequency, etc. at any time; ② During the suction process, if the sputum is too viscous, you can first suck in a small amount of clean water, and then suction the sputum to increase the suction force.

When the aspirated sputum reaches 2/3 of the volume of the sputum bottle, pour out the liquid in the bottle or replace it with a new sputum bottle.

After suctioning, unscrew the sputum bottle counterclockwise and disinfect it with disinfectant for next use.

The specific method of disinfection is to operate in the same way as suction, repeatedly inhale to expel the inhaled disinfectant. It needs to be cleaned and discharged many times to prepare for the next use.

3. Precautions for using a household handheld suction device

When using a home handheld suction device, you need to pay attention to the following matters to extend the service life of the suction device and avoid unnecessary infection.

Strictly follow the "one person, one machine" rule to avoid cross infection. Especially medical silicone suction tubes, which must be disinfected and sterilized before use.

When using a suction device, the operation must be gentle and accurate. Avoid inserting the suction tube too close to the throat to prevent the patient's oral mucosa from being damaged or bleeding.

After use, the suction device should be disinfected with disinfectant or detergent at a temperature below 30°C. Organic solvents are prohibited. Remember that only the silicone suction tube can be disinfected at high temperature, and other parts cannot be disinfected by this method.

If the suction device is not used for a long time, it will be difficult to pull the handle. At this time, you can open the suction cup and apply a little vaseline oil on the sealing ring for lubrication to ensure that it is convenient and flexible when used again.

After use, the suction device should be properly kept to prevent children from playing with or using it.

Waste (such as sputum, etc.) after using the suction device should be properly disposed of as medical waste.

Caring for the elderly requires meticulousness and caution. When they have phlegm in their bodies that cannot be discharged, using a handheld sputum suction device in time can not only effectively alleviate the elderly's condition, but also reduce the risk of suffocation caused by phlegm.

However, although household suction machines can relieve the pain of the elderly to a certain extent, if the situation is serious, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time and not delay the treatment.

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