Originally published on January 1, 2011 T.C. asks, "How do wounds around the stoma occur; and when they do, how should they be treated?" Answer: Stomal erosion occurs as a result of either inward or outward traction against the tracheostomy tube. Outward traction is exacerbated with the use of added weight within the ventilator circuit,
Originally published on January 11, 2011 B.R. asks, "What if a patient needs a trach that is shorter or longer than the standard trach, because of his individual anatomy?" Answer: A custom trach can be the answer to meet the needs of patients that cannot be met by any of the standard trachs. Most companies
Originally published on February 2, 2011 T.A. asks, "If a patient uses a cap or a valve in order to speak, should the cuff be inflated or deflated?" Answer: The purpose of the cuff is to seal the airway, and the ability to phonate depends upon air reaching the vocal cords. So the ability to speak
Originally published on March 14, 2011 Family member D.S. asks, "Medicare only supplies one cleaning kit per day, and we were told to clean the trach 2-3 times per day. Is it OK to reuse the cleaning tray and supplies?" Answer: It is very important to clean the trach no less than twice per day while
Originally published on April 26, 2011 B.F. asks, "What is the usual progression of trachs? My mom got her trach after being in the ICU on a ventilator. Now she is off the ventilator...so what happens next?" Answer: The usual progression for tracheostomies depends upon the reason why it was initally placed. For patients who
Originally published on May 21, 2011 Respiratory therapist, S.S., asks, "If the patient has been weaned from the ventilator, should the cuff be inflated or deflated? Answer: The inflated cuff provides a seal of the airway in order to effectively ventilate and oxygenate the patient. When the patient no longer requires the ventilator, it is usually best to deflate
Originally published on June 4, 2011 R.B. asks, "When a patient is on the ventilator, what causes a leak in the cuff?" Answer: There are many causes to a cuff leak. First, to clarify, it is rare that a leak within the cuff actually happens. What happens most often is a leak around the cuff. This leak
Originally published on June 24, 2011 Dr. S.A. asks, "I just received a rehab patient with a trach button who has developed pneumonia. Can I just replace the button with a regular trach?" Answer: A trach button is often placed to maintain the stoma while the patient is gaining strength through rehabilitation. The benefit of a button
R.B. asks, "When a patient is on the ventilator, what causes a leak in the cuff?" Answer: There are many causes to a cuff leak. First, to clarify, it is rare that a leak within the cuff actually happens. What happens most often is a leak around the cuff. This leak around the cuff is usually caused
Originally published on May 29, 2011 T.H. asks, "What is the purpose of a fenestrated tracheostomy tube?" Answer: The word fenestration comes from the French word, "la fenetre", meaning 'window'. So a fenestrated tube is one with a window, or a hole, on the dorsal shaft of the tube. The purpose of this hole is