Respiratory Cloud Clinical Skills Library

Clinical knowledge review

Contraindications

Use these educational prompts with current orders, protocols, patient assessment, facility policy, and supervising-clinician direction.

Skill

Nasotracheal Suctioning

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Contraindications Conditions identified as reasons to avoid or defer the procedure pending authorized clinical review. View list Relative contraindications Factors requiring individualized risk-benefit assessment, added precautions, or a modified approach. View list

Contraindications

Review these conditions before proceeding and follow current orders, protocols, facility policy, and supervising-clinician direction.

  • Avoid the nasotracheal route with severe active epistaxis, major nasal obstruction or trauma, recent nasal surgery, or suspected basilar skull or severe midface fracture.

Relative contraindications

Use individualized risk-benefit assessment, added precautions, or a modified approach as authorized for the patient and setting.

  • Coagulopathy, anticoagulation, recurrent epistaxis, severe hypoxemia or hemodynamic instability, bronchospasm, or elevated intracranial pressure increases procedural risk.

Sources

Supporting sources include peer-reviewed research, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, professional standards, and foundational respiratory care references, as applicable to the skill.

  1. Chang WP, et al. Adverse effects of non-intubated airway suctioning: a clinical data-based retrospective design. J Clin Nurs. 2023. PMID:35347773.
  2. Roberts K, Whalley H, Bleetman A. The nasopharyngeal airway: dispelling myths and establishing the facts. Emerg Med J. 2005;22(6):394-396. doi:10.1136/emj.2004.021402. PMID:15911941.