What is Yankauer suction used for?

Yankauer suction is used to clear secretions, blood, vomit and debris from the mouth and oropharynx, and to clear the operative field in many surgical procedures. Its rigid handle lets the clinician direct the tip precisely, and the rounded, perforated end reduces the risk of grabbing soft tissue. It is also a standard item on crash carts and ambulances.

Why is it called a Yankauer?

The device is named after Sidney Yankauer, an American ear, nose and throat surgeon of the early twentieth century who designed the rigid suction tip. The name is often spelled phonetically, for example as "yonker" suction, but it refers to the same device.

What is the difference between a vented and non-vented Yankauer?

A vented Yankauer has a thumb port on the handle. With the port open, air enters through the hole and suction at the tip is low; covering it with a thumb directs full suction to the tip. A non-vented Yankauer applies suction continuously and is controlled at the regulator or machine.

How often should a suction canister be changed?

A suction canister or liner should be changed when it reaches the fill line, when the shut-off valve activates, between patients, and at the interval set by the facility's infection prevention policy. Never empty and reuse disposable liners. Reusable rigid canisters must be cleaned and reprocessed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

What size is medical suction tubing?

Medical suction tubing is commonly made with an internal bore of around 6 mm (1/4 in), with smaller bores for some applications, in lengths such as 1.8 m (6 ft) and 3 m (10 ft). Choose non-kinking, transparent tubing and confirm that its connectors fit both the canister patient port and your suction tips.

Is a Yankauer used for endotracheal tube suctioning?

No. Endotracheal tube suctioning uses a sterile, flexible suction catheter sized to the tube, or a closed inline catheter attached to the ventilator circuit. A Yankauer is too large and rigid to enter an artificial airway; it is used only in the mouth and oropharynx, or in an open surgical field.

What is the difference between a Yankauer and a large-bore suction catheter?

A large-bore rigid suction catheter has a wider internal channel than a standard Yankauer and fewer restrictions at the tip, so it clears large volumes of vomit and particulate faster. It is used in difficult airway management where heavy contamination is expected. A standard Yankauer is gentler and more versatile for routine oral suction.

Yankauer Suction Tips, Canisters and Tubing Guide

Yankauer suction uses a rigid, handheld oral suction tip with a bulbous, perforated end to clear the mouth, oropharynx and surgical field. The Yankauer suction tip connects through suction tubing to a suction canister, which in turn connects to a vacuum source: a wall vacuum regulator or an electric suction machine. Each link in that chain affects how well suction works.

This guide explains the components, how they fit together, which suction tips suit which tasks, and what hospital buyers should standardize. For choosing the suction machine itself, see our medical suction machine guide.

What is a Yankauer suction tip?

A Yankauer suction tip is a rigid suction tube for the mouth, typically 25–30 cm (10–12 in) long, with a gently curved shaft and a rounded tip pierced by several holes. The rounded crown lets fluid in through multiple openings while keeping the tip from latching onto the tongue, cheek or pharyngeal wall.

Yankauer suction devices come in several forms:

Disposable plastic, usually clear so the operator can see what is being aspirated. Supplied sterile in single packs or as a Yankauer suction set with tubing.
Reusable stainless steel, used mainly in operating rooms and reprocessed between cases.
Vented or non-vented. A vented Yankauer suction handle has a thumb port to control suction at the tip.
Bulb tip or open tip. Some designs have a removable crown or an open end for higher flow when clearing thick material.

Because the shaft is rigid, a Yankauer suction tube is used only in the mouth and oropharynx, or in an open surgical wound. It is never passed through the nose or into an artificial airway.

How the suction chain fits together

Every suction setup, from an ICU bed head to an ambulance, has the same components in series.

Component	Function	Points to check
Vacuum source	Hospital pipeline vacuum or an electric pump	Adequate flow at the outlet; backup for power or pipeline failure
Regulator or controls	Sets and displays vacuum level	Gauge readable in mmHg or kPa; continuous and, if required, intermittent mode
Overflow protection	Stops fluid reaching the regulator or pump	Shut-off float or hydrophobic filter; separate safety trap where used
Suction canister	Collects aspirated fluid	Volume, graduations, port layout, liner or rigid design
Patient tubing	Carries fluid from tip to canister	Bore, length, kink resistance, connector type
Suction tip or catheter	Contacts the patient	Yankauer for oral; flexible sterile catheter for airways; surgical tips for the field

A blocked tip, kinked tube, cracked canister lid or full canister will each reduce suction at the patient end, even if the gauge shows a strong vacuum. That is why many checklists include occluding the tubing and confirming the vacuum reading before use.

Hospital wall suction setup

Hospital wall suction draws from the facility's central vacuum plant through a pipeline to wall or pendant outlets. Pipeline systems are covered by ISO 7396-1, and suction equipment powered from a vacuum source, such as wall regulators and their collection systems, by ISO 10079-3.

A typical hospital wall suction set up runs:

Wall or pendant vacuum outlet (terminal unit)
Vacuum regulator, plugged into the outlet, with gauge and on/off or mode control
Overflow safety trap or canister with built-in shut-off
Short vacuum tube from the regulator to the canister's vacuum port
Patient tubing from the canister's patient port to the suction tip or catheter

Set the vacuum level according to the clinical task, the patient group and your facility's protocol. Airway suction normally uses much lower vacuum than surgical suction. Staff should follow the regulator manufacturer's instructions for use and the training provided by their unit.

Electric suction machine set up

Where there is no pipeline vacuum, such as in clinics, ambulances, home care or as backup for power or pipeline failure, an electric suction machine provides the vacuum. The machine carries its own collection jar, overflow valve and bacterial filter, and patient tubing connects directly to the jar.

Portable units like Keling's DFX-23B-II Portable Electric Suction Machine, with AC/DC power and up to 2 hours of battery supply, are often kept on crash carts and in transport. For operating rooms, a mobile high-flow unit such as the DFX-23C-I Electric Suction Machine, with dual 2,500 ml glass collection bottles and both hand-switch and foot-switch control, lets one bottle be changed while the other runs. Our portable suction machine guide compares the options for wards, transport and home care.

Suction canisters: types and sizes

A suction canister collects aspirated fluid between the patient and the vacuum source. Hospital suction canisters are commonly 1,000–3,000 ml; operating rooms often run several canisters in series for long cases.

The main designs:

Disposable rigid canister. Discarded whole when full. Simple, but generates more plastic waste.
Reusable suction canister with disposable liner. A rigid outer shell stays on the wall bracket; a soft liner with an integrated lid is replaced. This reduces waste and storage space.
Reusable rigid jar. Common on electric suction machines. Plastic jars are light; glass jars are durable and, depending on the manufacturer's instructions, may be reprocessed by heat.

Features that matter in practice:

Port layout. A patient port, a vacuum port and sometimes a tandem port to link canisters.
Shut-off valve. A float or hydrophobic filter that closes when the canister is full, protecting the regulator or pump.
Clear graduations for estimating fluid loss.
Solidifier compatibility, if your waste policy requires fluid to be gelled before disposal.
Brackets that fit your wall rails, pendants, trolleys or machine.

Keling's portable DFX-23A-I Electric Sputum Suction Machine sputum suction machine, for example, uses a 1,000 ml medical-grade plastic liquid vessel; the mobile surgical units use two larger bottles.

Suction tubing and connectors

Suction tubing connects the tip to the canister and, separately, the canister to the vacuum source. Most medical suction tubing is clear PVC with ribbed or reinforced walls to resist kinking and collapse under vacuum.

What to specify:

Internal bore. A bore of around 6 mm (1/4 in) is common for patient tubing; wider bores clear thick material more easily, but must fit your connectors.
Length. Common lengths are 1.8 m (6 ft) for bedside use and 3 m (10 ft) or more for operating rooms, where the canister may be some distance from the field.
Connectors. Suction tubing connector designs vary between female ends, stepped universal connectors and fixed male fittings. Confirm compatibility with both canister ports and your tips before standardizing.
Sterility. Patient tubing for surgery is supplied sterile; tubing for general ward use may be clean but non-sterile.

Connecting suction tubing that does not fit snugly causes leaks that reduce vacuum at the tip, so test one sample of each combination before a hospital-wide purchase.

Surgical suction tips beyond the Yankauer

The operating room uses several surgical aspirator tips, each suited to a task:

Tip	Design	Typical use
Yankauer	Rigid, curved, bulbous perforated tip	Oropharynx; general surgical field
Frazier	Fine, angled tube with a thumb vent	Neurosurgery, ENT, small precise fields
Poole	Straight tube with a perforated outer sleeve	Abdominal cavity, large fluid volumes
Large-bore rigid catheter	Wide channel, minimal tip restriction	Heavy contamination during airway management

Disposable plastic tips reduce reprocessing. Metal surgical suction tips are durable but have narrow lumens that are hard to clean; they must be reprocessed exactly as the manufacturer's instructions describe, usually including brushing of the lumen and steam sterilization. See our guide to the sterile processing department for the workflow.

Yankauer vs endotracheal tube suctioning

Endotracheal tube suctioning and tracheal tube suctioning use different equipment from oral suction. A sterile, flexible suction catheter sized in French gauge is passed into the artificial airway, or a closed inline catheter stays connected to the ventilator circuit. The Yankauer is used separately, for the mouth and above the cuff of the tube.

Clinical technique for each type of suctioning is explained in suctioning explained: oral, nasopharyngeal and tracheal. Always follow local protocols and training.

Buying and standardizing suction consumables

Suction consumables are high-volume, repeat purchases. Standardizing them saves money and prevents the common problem of tubing from one ward not fitting the canister on another.

A procurement checklist:

Survey every suction point: wall outlets, pendants, crash carts, electric machines, ambulances
Choose one canister system (liner or rigid) and one connector standard for the hospital where possible
Specify tubing bore, length, sterility and packaging
Specify Yankauer type: vented or non-vented, bulb or open tip, sterile packs or sets with tubing
Calculate annual quantities from bed numbers, theater cases and emergency use
Check that electric suction machines meet ISO 10079-1 and that the manufacturer holds ISO 13485 certification
Ask for IFUs, reprocessing instructions for any reusable items, and the registrations that apply in your country

Next steps

Map your suction chain from vacuum source to tip, then standardize canisters, tubing and connectors before you buy machines. See Keling's suction machines range and request a quotation with your quantities.