Always check to see if your child requires suctioning prior to leaving home or starting activities.
Always have on hand a “travel kit” when leaving your home containing:
suction catheters
a portable suction device
suction tubing
a canister to collect secretions
connecting tubing (if pertinent)
solutions to lubricate and clean the suction catheter (sterile water or cooled boiled water)
solutions to rinse the suction catheter (hydrogen peroxide 3%), if needed
containers for the solutions
alcohol swabs
non steriles gauze compresses
paper tissues (to wipe away excess secretions)
a manual mucus trap device (that can be used without battery or electrical power).
Have a list on hand of the contents of this kit so it can be easily restocked. Confirm with your healthcare team how often you should verify supply and status, including expiry dates of equipment and materials.
Keep a resource list close at hand with the names and telephone numbers of hospital, doctors, other members of your child’s healthcare team and equipment providers. Make sure you know how to contact these resources outside of regular hours and during vacations.
Before leaving on a trip:
make sure you have a document from the healthcare team describing your child’s condition and your child’s needs regarding aspiration of secretions and a complete list of medications;
bring enough supplies to last for the duration of the trip and add a bit extra as a reserve;
make sure to ask if equipment providers and other resources are available at your destination in the event of equipment failure or other healthcare need;
take the climate of your destination into consideration because the relative humidity of the ambient air could modify the quantity and the consistency of your child’s secretions.
For travel by airplane:
contact the airline company to inquire about their policy concerning the transport of medical equipment;
keep all medical equipment and supplies with you in the cabin.
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