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Suctioning of Artificial airway

● Estimating correct size of suction catheter-

   ▪Suction catheters are measured in FRENCH units, which refers to Circumference of the tube,

   ▪ C= 3.1416 × D  ( C= circumference,  D= diameter),

   ▪ Circumference is nearly 3 times Diameter,

   ▪ Endotracheal/ Tracheostomy tubes are measured in DIAMETER,
  
   ▪ Suction catheter size should be limited to not more than half the size of ET/TT,

   ▪ Multiply ET/TT size by 3( converting it into French unit), now divide this number by 2, you get suction catheter size,

   ▪ Example-  if ET size is 8: 8×3=24; 24/2=12; Suction catheter size is 12.

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