Portable Suction help

concord72 · #1 12-01-2011, 11:59 AM

Am new to this site, 20 years old and have had a trach for about a year and a half now. Been in rehab for almost all that time, just got home for the first time 2 weeks ago. I use the vent only to sleep (CPAP). I have an Easy Go-Vac portable suction (http://www.rainbowcare.com.sg/easygovac/easygovac.jpg) that i keep bedside but i was wandering if anyone knows about any smaller suction machines that are out there?
I even bought this handheld one from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/HANDHELD-PORTA...2762155&sr=1-2) but it's really a 2 person job, i cant really use it all by myself. I wanna be able to go out by myself and not have to carry my portable Easy Go-Vac with me, its a little too big for my liking, even though its fine if im out with my family. Does anyone have any suggestions or know anything about super portable/handheld suctions that are solo operated? Any help would be great, thanks in advance.
EDIT: I was looking online and i keep reading about a "Delee mucus trap" but i dont really know what that is. Anyone care to help?

kadiera · #2 12-01-2011, 02:40 PM

we had an easy go-vac when our normal pump was being repaired, and disliked it.

Devillbiss makes a somewhat smaller pump - http://www.specialty-medical.com/7310PR-D.html - this was our go-to pump.

Medela also makes the Clario which is even smaller, lighter, and quieter, but they're not selling them in the US anymore. Be cautious about buying them online; many that you can find now don't have batteries, which is useless (unless you or someone you know is an electronics whiz).

Louise D · #3 12-01-2011, 08:47 PM

I have not tried it but I found this one on the internet. Its the Laerdal Compact 3. We are looking for something smaller too http://www.laerdal.com/images/L/ABNTJUUU.jpg

Louise D

kadiera · #4 12-01-2011, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louise D

I have not tried it but I found this one on the internet. Its the Laerdal Compact 3. We are looking for something smaller too http://www.laerdal.com/images/L/ABNTJUUU.jpg

Very interesting....it looks *identical* (other than the colors and their name on the machine) to the business end of the Devilbiss one I linked to above. Same top face plate with the same arrangement of buttons and lights and lettering...same knob for changing suction levels. The only difference is that the canister sits on the narrow end, and is much smaller. I'm thinking that would be smaller than the Clario too...

concord72 · #5 12-02-2011, 12:38 PM

I'm actually really liking the Laerdal Compact 3, it seems small enough that i can carry it with me when i go out. Im gonna have to ask if my insurance covers it. If anyone has tried it, please feel free to chime in!

jennymclelland · #6 12-02-2011, 04:08 PM

I bought the LCSU3 last week and love it. The battery lasts forever and there are fewer things to come disconnected.

If you want it to be as small as possible, use the "disposable" suction canisters. I put disposable in quotes, because we wash and reuse them. They're annoying to wash, but no more annoying than baby bottles. It would matter to use a disposable suction if you were a paramedic suctioning up different people's blood, but not so much for trach suctioning.

We also bought the 800ml canister expansion pack with the wire thingie. Haven't tried that yet, but maybe we would use it when we're around the house.

The LCSU fits perfectly in the Meret MPFO expansion pack...

HTML Code:

http://www.meretusa.com/product.php?product_id=733

My Christmas present to myself this year is the fancy Meret EMS backpack, to use as a go-bag that can haul around trach stuff and oxygen.

san123 · #7 02-10-2012, 09:09 PM

http://www.specialty-medical.com/7310PR-D.html

This was our Go-to pump untill y'day.

Y'day my daughter went for her speech sesson, and by mistakenly her caregiver flipped the suction bag, and somehow the filter stopped working. She couldn't suction the child, thank god now my daughter can handle her secreations well for few min.She has to immediately bring her home, and it took 20min. from her to come home.Finally she came home safely .
I called the distributors and they told me if the water gets in to the filter , it won't work .We didn't know this untill y'day.So incase if anyone uses this suction unit, pls. carry a extra filter with you incase of emergency.

san123 · #8 02-10-2012, 09:12 PM

Jenny does this LCSU3 suction unit makes louder noise like the other suction units? If not i like to get one for my daughter too.
Isai.

kadiera · #9 02-10-2012, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by san123

Y'day my daughter went for her speech sesson, and by mistakenly her caregiver flipped the suction bag, and somehow the filter stopped working.

Any suction with a paper filter will stop working if it gets saturated. There's a valve in the lid that's supposed to keep the suctioned goo from getting into the filter (and that's true of every brand of pump I have here), but they're not 100%.

We were always told to cary a delee suction in our emergency bag in case of suction failure....