Transcript Slide 1

TRACHEOSTOMY CARE
BILL WOJCIECHOWSKI, MS, RRT
DEPARTMENT OF CARDIORESPIRATORY CARE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
MOBILE, ALABAMA
TRACHEOSTOMY CARE

Upper airway
functions
bypassed when
patient has
tracheotomy
performed.
UPPER AIRWAY FUNCTIONS
Heat/moisture
exchange
 Thermoregulation
 Gustation (taste)
 Olfaction (smell)
 Filtration

CLINICAL COMPLICATIONS
Altered or loss of voice
 Speech & language delays (young children)
 Loss of smell & taste
 Compromised nutritional status
 Impaired swallowing/increased risk of
aspiration
 Secretion control issues/infection
 Psychological distress
 Loss of physiologic PEEP

CLINICAL COMPLICATIONS

Absence of airflow often creates
 Frustration
 Anxiety
 Psychological

distress
For children: delayed
speech & language
development
CLINICAL COMPLICATIONS

Absence of airflow decreases sensations
 Smell
 Taste
 Poor
appetite
 Skin health
 Supplemental
feeding
 Difficulty swallowing
 Risk of aspiration
CLINICAL COMPLICATIONS

Cuffed trach tubes anchor larynx & sometimes
interfere with:
 Laryngeal
elevation
 Epiglottic inversion
 Airway protection
Cuffed trach tubes
secure larynx,
Deflated cuff: more
freedom.
Three phases of normal swallowing:
1) Oral phase
2) Pharyngeal phase
3) Esophageal phase
UPPER AIRWAY FUNCTIONS

Normal swallowing (pharyngeal phase):
 Oral
& nasal cavities sealed
 Vocal cords close
 Positive pressure generated below cords
 Air prevented from entering larynx
 Larynx elevates & moves forward
 Acts as a lever (mechanical event)
 Epiglottis seals larynx
 Food/liquid directed into esophagus
UPPER AIRWAY FUNCTIONS
Swallowing with Trach Tube Inserted:
Vocal cords close
 Air flows through trach tube
 No subglottic
positive pressure
 Reduced sensations in
larynx & pharynx
 Pooling of airway secretions
 Increase risk of aspiration
Most patients OK!!

CLINICAL COMPLICATIONS

Absence of upper airway airflow (inability to
nose-breathe) compromises:
 Heat/moisture
exchange
 Increased secretion viscosity
 Increased secretion volume
 Frequent suctioning
 Increase risk of airway trauma/infection
 Presence of trach tube stimulates secretions
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CLINICAL COMPLICATIONS

With cuff inflated:
 No
physiologic PEEP
 Possible
micro-atelectasis
 Decreased
alveolar ventilation
 Compromised
oxygenation
Cuff deflated
Physiologic
PEEP
Present
Cuff inflated
Physiologic
PEEP
Absent
TRACHEOSTOMY CARE
Inspect stoma daily: irritation/inflammation.
 Tracheostomy care is done every 8 to 12 hours
and PRN.
 Avoid dressings trapping moisture.
 Check secretions: white & clear; greenish-yellow
 Odor often indicates infection.
 Assess need for suctioning q2h.

TRACHEOSTOMY CARE

Signs of Infection:
 Yellow
or green secretions (pink or blood-tinged)
 Thicker mucus
 Greater volume of mucus
 Stoma site bleeding
 Foul odor from stoma
 Febrile patient
 Pulmonary congestion
 Increased RR
 Listlessness
 Discomfort with trach/tender stoma site
CLEANING INNER CANNULA
PROCEDURE
CLEAN INNER CANNULA
1. Loosen inner cannula.
2. Hold outer cannula with
one hand. Turn
inner cannula to right
with other hand to
unlock.
CLEAN INNER CANNULA
3. Remove the inner
cannula by
steadily pulling it down
and toward
your chest until it is out.
CLEAN INNER CANNULA
4. Place inner cannula in
the solution of hydrogen
peroxide & normal
saline, and don sterile
gloves.
CLEAN INNER CANNULA
5. Use trach brush, or pipe
cleaner, to clean inner
cannula of mucus and
dried secretions.
CLEAN INNER CANNULA
6. Place it in bowl of
normal saline (NS).
7. Shake off excess NS.
Moisture will act as
lubricant during inner
cannula reinsertion.
CLEAN INNER CANNULA
8. Reinsert inner cannula,
keeping curved portion
facing downward.
CLEAN INNER CANNULA
9. Lock inner cannula into
position.
10. Wash bowls
thoroughly and allow to
air dry. Soak trach
brush soak in hydrogen
peroxide-NS solution &,
rinse with NS. Air to dry.
Discard pipe cleaners.
CUFF PRESSURE
Goal: maintain cuff pressure below tracheal
mucosal capillary perfusion pressure which
is: 25 to 30 mm Hg.
Cuff pressure maintained: 20 to 25 mm Hg, or
25 to 35 cm H2O
Higher cuff pressures
 Cut off tracheal mucosal blood flow
 Tracheal wall damage (necrosis/tracheomalcia)
CPR - TRACHEOSTOMY
Caregivers must receive CPR training.
 Suction if indicated.
 Change trach tube if clogged.

 Spare
tubes (cuffless &/or cuffed): same size & 1
size smaller
Pinch nose & mouth (cuffless trach).
 2 breaths with manual resuscitator/mouth-totrach/mouth-to-stoma: STOMA LEAK
 Mouth-to-mouth/bag-mask with finger over
stoma: STOMA LEAK

TRACHEOSTOMY & SPEECH
Fenestrated:
 Weaning
 Speech
Granuloma formation
Increased risk of
aspiration
TRACHEOSTOMY & SPEECH
Some space
around tube
 Snug fit:
tube too large


non-fenestrated:
poor or no speech
TRACHEOSTOMY & SPEECH
TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE PRECAUTIONS
Use extreme caution with baths and water
 No swimming
 Avoid powder, talc, chlorine bleach, ammonia,
aerosol sprays, or colognes and perfumes
 Prevent foreign objects from entering trach
tube

TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE PRECAUTIONS
Avoid dust
 Avoid sand and beach
 Watch play with other children to assure toys,
fingers or other foreign bodies are not put into
trach and trach is not pulled
 No contact sports
 Frequent hand washing

EDUCATION
Teach airway anatomy
 Teach about equipment
 Teach CPR
 Teach infection control
 Teach humidification
 Teach suctioning
 Teach about speaking valves/fenestrated
trach tubes
 Teach communication through speech therapy
