Overview:

Maintaining airway patency and preventing infection are two primary concerns when providing care to the patient with a tracheostomy tube. Other needs are caring for the stoma, providing some form of effective communication, and providing emotional support. With fresh new graphics and updated information, this new edition of Medcom’s classic course on tracheostomy care continues to provide a strong foundation on the essentials of direct airway care.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Describe the function of a tracheostomy tube
• Explain the procedure for cleaning and changing the inner cannula
• Describe care for the stoma
• Describe the procedure for changing a tracheostomy tube
• Identify complications associated with over-inflation of a soft cuff
• Describe the preferred procedure for maintaining adequate cuff pressure