When suctioning:

1. Wash hands and apply gloves
2. Check pressure setting
3. Attach suction catheter to tubing making sure not to touch the catheter
4. Hold in non-dominant hand and apply glove onto dominant hand (clean nonsterile, or sterile first week)
5. Remove catheter from packaging
6. Detach thermovent/mask
7. Insert catheter into tube to pre-measured depth, without applying suction
8. Remove catheter while applying suction (should take no longer than 15-20 seconds, do not stir or trombone, i.e. slide in and out)
9. Observe amount, colour and consistency of secretions
10. Replace thermovent/mask
11. Wrap suction catheter around dominant hand and remove glove containing catheter and discard
12. Rinse suction tubing with water
13. Reassess child
14. Suction catheters should only be used once
15. Instil saline 0.9% as guidelines if secretions thick
16. Give oral or nasal suction if needed with Yankauer/catheter
17. If urgent suction needed and you feel there is no time to prepare a new catheter re-use the old one for a second time only

Table 1 describes some things to watch out for during suction.

Fig 1 is a video showing suctioning.