Suctioning
Respiratory therapists and nurses may use suctioning to help remove secretions from the airways. To perform suctioning, they usually introduce a small plastic tube through the nose and a few inches into the windpipe (trachea). A gentle vacuum sucks out the secretions that cannot be coughed up. Suctioning is also used to clear secretions in someone who has a tracheostomy (a surgical opening in the trachea to allow breathing) or who has a breathing tube inserted through the nose or mouth and into the trachea (intubation) while on a ventilator.
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