Tracheostomy Flashcards
tracheostomy
artificial opening made into the trachea, mainly at second or third cartilage ring
What is the purpose of a tracheostomy?
help patients ventilate, bypass an upper airway obstruction, remove secretions
What is the main priority in any tracheostomy emergency?
maintain the airway
Kinds of trachs
cuffed and uncuffed
What are the parts of a trach?
outer cannula, inner cannula, faceplate
obturator
inserted into the trach tube to help guide the trach into the airway, it has to be taken out after the trach tube to allow air to flow
What would happen if the string of the inflation tube was cut?
the balloon of the cuffed trach can’t be deflated and can be stuck inside the patients throat
Why can’t patient’s eat w/ an inflated cuff trach?
the cuff is pushing against the esophagus and making the airway narrow and can cause them to aspirate
passy muir vav=lve
placed on trach to allow patient to speak
suctioning
aspiration secretion through a catheter
What are the different suctioning sites?
nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, endotracheal, and tracheostomy
What size catheter do adults need?
12-18, 12-14 is the typical size
What pressure do adults need?
80-150
What size catheter do children need?
8-10
What pressure do children need?
80-125
What size catheter do infants need?
5-8
What pressure do infants need?
60-8
When do you start suctioning?
when they start coughing or if you feel resistance w/ the catheter
How often can you suction?
3x in one session
What are the risks of using the wrong suction pressure?
too little won’t clear the airway and too much can cause hypoxia, atelectasis
How often should trach care be performed?
Q8H
What position is used for tracheal suctioning?
for conscious patients, semi fowlers
for unconscious patients, lateral facing you
cuffed trachs
help create a seal so the secretions coming from their nasal cavity won’t get in their lungs and cause aspiration
