What is the maximum recommended suction time during field suctioning?

• A. 30 seconds
• B. 5 seconds
• C. 10 seconds or less
• D. 1 minute

Answer: (C)

Suctioning should be kept very brief to protect the patient from losing oxygen during airway clearance. Clearing secretions is important, but the act of suctioning can remove the available oxygen from the lungs and cause desaturation or even a reflex slowing of the heart, especially in children. Because of that, you limit each suction pass to a brief burst and, in the field, to 10 seconds or less. If more suctioning is needed, pause to reoxygenate and reassess the patient’s oxygen saturation between attempts. Do the suctioning in short bursts rather than a long continual pass, and remember to suction on withdrawal rather than insertion, using an appropriately sized catheter and providing oxygen before and after as the situation allows.