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Aspirators designed to evacuate obstructive secretions, gas, liquids (e.g., blood), and/or foreign bodies from the patient\'s airway (including nose, mouth, pharynx, and trachea), to keep the air passages to the lungs open. Suctioning can be done to remove secretions from the upper airway above the glottis (e.g., mouth, nose, and pharynx) or to remove secretions from the trachea. These devices usually consist of a powered (or less frequently) manual vacuum pump, a pressure regulator and gauge, one or more collection canisters, plastic tubes connecting the components to each other, overflow protection and/or bacteria filter, the suction tubing (e.g., tubes, catheters, cannulae), and a carrying case. Free flow rates of airway aspirators are usually higher than 25 liter/min. For tracheal suctioning, the aspirator should provide a low vacuum level of 80 mm to 120 mm Hg; for oropharyngeal suctioning, the aspirator should provide a high vacuum level less than or equal to 400 mm Hg. Many units are portable and battery-operated, and some can have a manual pump and are handheld. Oropharyngeal aspiration is frequently used to prepare the patient for emergency intubation, while tracheal aspiration is mainly used to maintain airway patency of an intubated patient. Dedicated aspirators intended only for tracheal aspirations are also available.
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