Expert: Mary Gordon - 1/5/2008

Question
First of all thank you for your thorough answer last time I asked you a
question. This time I want to know if there is a hand held affordable, easy to
use, piece of equipment which would allow my father to suction out the
copious saliva in his lady friend's mouth. He does this with paper towels and
it is very difficult for him. He is afraid she will choke on her saliva if he can't
remove it. He talks about it all the time and begs me to find a device. I got
him one of those rubber bulbs that is used for cleaning out a baby's nose
but it was not strong enough. I look forward to your reply. Nancy

Answer
Hi Nancy.

Your question about a suction machine was great - one no one ever asked before.  After a little rummaging around, I came across this - the Res-Q-Vac. It's aimed at paramedics and first aiders so it's small, light weight, battery operated, and under $100, so it might fit the bill for your father's use.  

http://www.firstrespondersupplies.com/resqvac.htm

The above link is just one supplier. If you do a google search on Res-Q-Vac, you will find assorted suppliers charging various amounts for the basic unit and accessories (prices seem to vary between $66 and $90 for the basic kit). Local medical supply places may even carry it (or be able to order it) if he doesn't want to order on line.  

Besides suction, and making sure she isn't lying flat so she chokes or aspirates the saliva, if saliva is bothersome, there are several medications that can help dry the mouth. Your dad might want to ask about using one or more of the following: robinul, elavil, benadryl, ditropan, atropine, cogentin, artane or levsin. Believe it or not, some people get improvement from small amounts of meat tenderizer, as one of the ingredients tends to dry the mouth.

Incidentally, the root cause of the problem is called dysphagia. She's developing trouble swallowing, so she's actually not producing abnormal amounts of saliva - she's just not unconsciously swallowing it like a healthy person does. It ends up pooling in her mouth and drooling out (or worse, she chokes on it or aspirates it into her lungs - very common cause of pneumonia).

Hope this helps. Your dad sounds like a wonderful man.

Mary G.