During oropharyngeal suctioning, which would be a nursing consideration?

During oropharyngeal suctioning, which would be a nursing consideration?

• A. Maintain sterile technique.
• B. Encourage coughing out secretions during suctioning.
• C. Measure the catheter from the mouth to the ear to the xiphoid process.
• D. Moisten the catheter tip with a petroleum jelly lubricant.

Answer: (B)

Encouraging the patient to cough out secretions during oropharyngeal suctioning supports natural airway clearance by mobilizing secretions into the oropharynx to be expelled, which helps reduce the risk of retained secretions and aspiration. For this procedure, clean technique is used rather than sterile, so maintaining sterile technique isn’t required here. The catheter length isn’t measured from mouth to ear to xiphoid for this purpose; the goal is to reach the oropharynx only. Lubricating with petroleum jelly isn’t appropriate because petroleum-based lubricants can be irritating if aspirated and risk lipid pneumonia; if lubrication is needed, a sterile water-based lubricant should be used.

Encouraging the patient to cough out secretions during oropharyngeal suctioning supports natural airway clearance by mobilizing secretions into the oropharynx to be expelled, which helps reduce the risk of retained secretions and aspiration. For this procedure, clean technique is used rather than sterile, so maintaining sterile technique isn’t required here. The catheter length isn’t measured from mouth to ear to xiphoid for this purpose; the goal is to reach the oropharynx only. Lubricating with petroleum jelly isn’t appropriate because petroleum-based lubricants can be irritating if aspirated and risk lipid pneumonia; if lubrication is needed, a sterile water-based lubricant should be used.