Oral suction device

1. An oral suction device, comprising:

a suction catheter having a suction portion at a first end,

a shell surrounding the suction portion, and

a suction tubing connector, on a second end opposite the first end,

wherein the shell comprises a hydrogel,

the suction portion of the suction catheter comprises a plurality of holes,

the shell comprises a plurality of holes, and

the plurality of holes in the shell are configured to, in use, allow removal therethrough of fluid from an oral cavity of a patient, the oral suction device further comprising a sponge surrounding the suction portion, wherein the shell surrounds the sponge.

2. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the sponge is radiopaque.

3. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel comprises a polymer, water and a salt.

4. The oral suction device of claim 3 , wherein the salt is sodium chloride.

5. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the suction portion has a length of 2.5 to 30 cm.

6. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the oral suction device is sterile.

7. The oral suction device of claim 1 , further comprising a retention connector attached to the suction catheter.

8. The oral suction device of claim 7 , wherein the retention connector is a C-clip.

9. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyacrylamide; agar-agar; polyvinyl pryrrolidone; silicone hydrogels; and polymers and copolymers of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, glyceryl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine, ethoxyethyl methacrylate and methacrylic acid.

10. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel comprises polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol, agar-agar and water.

11. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel is impregnated with an antibiotic.

12. The oral suction device of claim 11 , wherein the antibiotic is at least one member selected from the group consisting of cephalosporines, fluoroquinolones, β-lactams, carbapenems, glycopeptides and aminoglycosides.

13. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the shell has an expanded figure-8 shape.

14. The oral suction device of claim 1 , further comprising an esophageal stethoscope and an electronic temperature probe.

15. The oral suction device of claim 14 , further comprising a lead tube, wherein one or more leads located within the lead tube are in electrical communication with the electronic temperature probe.

16. The oral suction device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more leads are connected to a lead adaptor.

17. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the shell has a length of 5 to 25 cm, a width at a widest point of 3 to 8 cm, a width at a narrowest point of 2 to 7 cm, and a height of 0.3 to 4 cm.

18. The oral suction device of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum lock relief tube inside the suction catheter, wherein the vacuum lock relief tube creates a gas pathway from atmosphere outside the suction catheter into the sponge or shell.

19. A method of removing fluids from a patient, comprising applying suction to the oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the oral suction device is within the oral cavity of the patient.

20. The oral suction device of claim 1 , further comprising an esophageal stethoscope and an electronic temperature probe, wherein the esophageal stethoscope comprises a stethoscope tube having a listening end.

21. The oral suction device of claim 20 , wherein the stethoscope tube is located within the suction catheter.

22. The oral suction device of claim 20 , wherein a seal separates the listening end of the esophageal stethoscope from the suction portion.

23. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel comprises a silicone hydrogel.

24. The oral suction device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of holes in the suction portion of the suction catheter is 6 to 100 holes, and the plurality of holes in the shell is 10 to 10,000 holes.

25. An oral suction device, comprising:

a suction catheter having a suction portion,

a sponge, surrounding the suction portion, wherein the sponge is radiopaque,

a shell comprising a hydrogel, surrounding the sponge and the suction portion,

a suction tubing connector on a first end of the suction catheter,

an electronic temperature probe on a second end of the suction catheter opposite the suction tubing connector,

an esophageal stethoscope comprising a stethoscope tube having a listening end, wherein the stethoscope tube enters the suction catheter near the suction tubing connector and is located within the suction catheter,

a seal, separating the listening end of the esophageal stethoscope from the suction portion,

a stethoscope connector on a first end of the stethoscope tube opposite the listening end, and

one or more leads in electrical communication with the electronic temperature probe.