What is a tracheostomy and its care?

Tracheostomy is a small hole that is practiced in the throat, in the trachea region to facilitate breathing, this technique is usually used when there is an airway obstruction caused by tumors or inflammation of the throat after surgery, for example, so it can persist for a few days, as the case may be, throughout life.

If tracheostomy needs to be maintained for a long time, it is important to pay special attention to avoid serious complications such as suffocation or even a possible lung infection, this care can be done by the caregiver in case the person is fit. or for the patient himself, when he can do it.

  • To avoid serious complications.
  • It is important to keep the cannula clean and always secret.
  • As well as to change all components as directed by your doctor.

In addition, it is essential to observe if there is swelling instead of tracheostomy, as if these signs occur it may indicate an infection, which should be reported immediately to the doctor.

To keep the tracheostomy tube clean and secret, which can cause suffocation or infection, look for:

The external tracheostomy cannula should only be changed by a health care professional, who has a high risk of suffocation during home completion, so the hospital should be visited at least once a week to change all tracheostomy equipment, according to your doctor. Instructions.

The padded surface of the tracheostomy should change each time the wind is dry. After removal, cleanse the skin around the tracheostomy with a piece of physiological material and apply a fragrance-free moisturizer.

To put a new surface, you can use the right pads for the tracheostomy, as if you were changing in the first image, using 2 clean companies with a small cut at the top, as if you were changing in the second image.

Tracheostomy is performed by surgery under general anesthesia, even in some cases it may be under local anesthesia, depending on the difficulty and duration of the procedure.

A small incision is then made in the throat to expose the trachea, causing a new cut, now in the tracheal cartilage to allow the tracheostomy tube to pass through, in the end, at first, in case the person only needs a tracheostomy during his hospital stay, the machines are connected to help him breathe.

While the person may return home with a tracheostomy, this procedure is more appropriate in person with more serious problems that must remain hospitalized in ICU for an extended period of time, for example.

Some signs that the emergency medical service needs to reach the clinic more efficiently:

When the patient develops the feeling of shortness of air, the internal cannula should be removed and cleaned properly; However, if this symptom persists, emergency department should be taken care of immediately.

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