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Ah...why didn't I think of those?! LOL. Thank you so much for the suggestion Joel!

I am wondering, given the high humidity in SG, is that still applicable/suitable? Sorry, I do not know much about them, except I do remember reading it somewhere in the forums, then it slipped off my mind completely. LOL.

Will that also get in the way/difficult to remove when my mum needs suction? She has been having a lot of secretions ever since she comes home and for the past 2 days, I observed blood spotting and/or streaks in her inner cannula. So I worry about that.

I had been thinking if there a correlation between weather and amt of secretions. It seemed like my mum is having more phlegm on cold days (during the monsoon season in Asia) and less on warm days (when bush fires are raging). Something like what asthma patients experience?
 
LOL.......The HME's go on the flexible hose that attaches to the trache tube, right after the exhale valve. So she would still have a short hose attached with the HME on the end.

From my experience I think it would still be suitable in your humidity.

Blood spotting (for me) is because of low humidity, that is why I use an HME.

Also, in colder weather my secretions increase as well.

Take care!
 
I forgot to state yesterday. My mum is not on bipap or vent now. She only has the trache to help with her breathing. She refused to return to using the bipap.

A doc came by today and stated the blood in her phelgm was due to too frequent suctions leading to trauma to her trachea. She was suction 13 times for 24 hours yesterday and 6 times from midnight to 6am.

But I thought we should suction when her secretions are already oozing out of her trache and when she is almost choking. I am so confused as to when suction is needed now.
 
You are doing the right thing by suctioning her when secretions get that bad.

What type of catheter are you using?

We use the soft red rubber ones and they don't hurt my trachea.
 
I don't know if I can mention the brand here, but I'm using the transparent type.
 
No problem mentioning brand names here if it is a legitimate product for ALS patients and you're not trying to make money off us.

AL.
 
Thanks Al!

Joel: I'm using UroPlast suction catheter size 12. I don't see the red rubber ones you use in SG though. Only the transparent type with pressure control.
 
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