High School

Why are clients hyperoxygenated before and after suctioning?

Why is sterility maintained during suctioning?

Answer :

Clients are hyperoxygenated before and after suctioning to ensure there's a reserve of oxygen to prevent hypoxemia and atelectasis. Sterility is maintained to prevent infections in the sterile lower respiratory tract. The administration of 100 percent oxygen is crucial in treating carbon monoxide poisoning, as it displaces the carbon monoxide from hemoglobin.

Clients are hyperoxygenated when suctioning to forestall hypoxemia, which is a drop in blood oxygen levels. This training guarantees that there is a hold of oxygen in the lungs, making up for the short time frame during suctioning when oxygen can't be conveyed.

Hyperoxygenation also helps to prevent atelectasis, which is the collapse of lung tissue due to the lack of air in the alveoli.

Sterility is maintained during suctioning to prevent the introduction of pathogens into the lower respiratory tract, which is normally sterile.

The presence of microbes in the lower respiratory tract can lead to infections such as pneumonia, which is often life-threatening, particularly in vulnerable populations such as hospitalized patients or those with compromised immune systems.

The administration of 100 percent oxygen is critical in treating carbon monoxide poisoning because it competitively displaces carbon monoxide from the hemoglobin, thus allowing for the normalization of oxygen transport by red blood cells.

On the other hand, the administration of carbon dioxide wouldn't work as it does not compete for the same binding sites on hemoglobin as oxygen does, and it would not reverse the toxic effects of carbon monoxide.