Suctioning off the vent!

againes304 · #1 01-16-2010, 11:32 AM

I am loosing my mind with suctioning! JJ has been sprinting off the vent for almost 2 months now. I thought the suctioning issue would get better! On the vent we suction about 2-3 times in a 24 hour period! Off the vent we suction every 10-15 minutes. The secretions are still normal for him they are clear with tinged white and morer on the thinner side. Not a a tremendous amount we get but it is constant! We have tried cool mist compressor it does not make a difference. I have tried many different HME's and that even makes suctioning more frequent! Now we just use a mask with some 02! While on trach collar he requires only a 1/2 liter of 02, on the vent he requires 1 liter! On the vent his nose runs constantly, off the vent no runny nose! No appoinment with pulmo until feb, and the nurses that I talk to thinks I am nuts! Please someone shed some light!

Melisande · #2 01-16-2010, 12:08 PM

Sounds like there maybe something else going on if his nose is running too. Maybe some singular or zyrtec or something like that to dry him up a bit. You have to watch and see how that affects him with plugs and stuff, but lots of our kids have allergies. I found that as Donovan got older, spent less time on the vent and got outside, he had allergies and needed additionally meds. We even had nasonex too for his runny nose at times. (we still use it occassionally)

drct1245 · #3 01-16-2010, 12:25 PM

The runny nose is weird... we had Ayden on zyrtec to counteract the secretions/drainage. It almost sounds like the drainage came out his nose on the vent and now it's coming out the trach.

I know each time we transitioned, we had a big change in secretions. It probably took 6 weeks to go back to close to normal, but secretions were always different with each transition.

Do you have the O2 humidified? We were told that under 1/2 L, it wasn't necessary.

I don't have many ideas for ya... except if is he teething? Ayden's secretions quadrupled when he teethed. (?)

againes304 · #4 01-16-2010, 01:49 PM

Yes he is teething! We are on nasonex, singulair, and clariton.He is a nose breather and mouth breather. really bad leak arond trach. He even talks around track! On the vent we hardly ever suction. The nose is always clear and thin too.

againes304 · #5 01-16-2010, 01:51 PM

02 is not humidified. We have tried zyrtec as well, nothing helps! Even prescription hydroxyzine similar to benadryl!

Niff · #6 01-16-2010, 03:15 PM

Not sure about the nasal secretions, but that amount of suction is the norm for us. Just keep in mind that the vent pushes the secretions down, so you should typically end up suctioning more OFF the vent. Or at least that's what we were told.

lynn · #7 01-16-2010, 04:01 PM

I replied on your FB post... but the constant running nose was a norm for us.. Joseph was tested for EVERYTHING they could think of.. and our ENT finally came up with.. the vent pushed the secreations out of his nose?? I dont know how true that is but it was a nonstop runny nose (clear) and even with zyrtec didnt get much better (he also was tested for allergies and it was negative)....It was so bad if I didnt constantly wipe it it would run all the way down his face and onto his chest..and it was NONstop!! now that we are off the vent the nose doesnt run at all.. but when he was back on 24/7 with his pneumonia a couple of months ago the constant running nose was back!! so perhaps our ent was right about the pressure being pushed up thru the sinus??
I do suction ALOT more when off vent unless he is wearing the PMV then I hardly suction at all.. and any HMEs make it much worse than a bare trach