There is a relative tie between our first and second choices for portable suction. Both of these devices are still being used in developing countries and are very reliable and durable. The S-Scort may have a slight advantage in that it was designed for emergency service use and oftentimes comes with a nice carrying case for transport.

The Gomco suction is an excellent device as well, and possibly a bit more reliable and precise with its suction amounts. Our organization uses both models frequently, but tends to use the Gomco suction for ENT work as it has options for calibrating the suction strength.

It is important to make sure that you test the batteries of any portable suction before they are deployed overseas. It is also important to make sure that you have extra tubing, extra Fraser tips, and also disposable or reusable canisters.

The Devilbiss Vacu-aide is our third choice as it is a little less common and a little less popular. This device is also a good portable suction unit and it has advantages in that it sometimes can be found for very low prices and is a commonly donated item as well hospitals upgrade.

At the end of the day, suction devices are very simple mechanically and as long as the battery is tested, one should not have any issues in the field.