There are additional basic principles that should be followed for safe handling of suction canisters to minimize the risk to healthcare workers. Disposable units should be discarded when full or when removed from a patient. Some institutions have converted partially and have both systems in use. As with the suction canister itself, so too should the connectors and associated tubing be disposable. Use of disposables reduces the handling of the contaminated equipment by healthcare workers.
Care needs to be taken when removing the collection canister from the patient care areas.
It needs to be carried out in a sealed impervious container. Neither container should be transported unless sealed to prevent spillage or contamination of others en route to its final disposal site. Once the protectively enclosed collector unit has reached a disposal area, its contents should be disposed of according to policy. The disposal should occur in a non-patient care area to avoid the contaminated aerosols generated by the suctioning process. The personnel doing this should be gowned, gloved and masked to protect against aerosolized contaminants, spillage, and splattering.