This was a 10-year study done at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Tanzania and included 214 patients. Male to female ratio was 3:1, with a mean age of 38 years. In their study, the most common indication for tracheostomy was upper airway obstruction secondary to trauma or neoplastic causes. Eighty-six percent of tracheostomies were temporary,
Originally posted on January 16, 2012 Decannulation failure is defined as the need to replace the airway after the tube has been decannulated. This Australian study examined 981 ICU patients who received tracheostomies. Seventy-seven percent of them were placed percutaneously and 23% were placed surgically. The mean duration of placement was 16 days. A total of 823 decisions
An Italian study (Clini et al., 2011) followed 77 tracheostomy patients who were determined to be difficult to wean from mechanical ventilation. A physical training program began 48 hours after admission to their regional weaning center. The program consisted of active movement of the limbs, interventions focusing on trunk control, body posture, upper and lower
Because the tracheostomy re-directs air away from the vocal cords, communication may be challenging between patients and their healthcare providers. The following qualitative study was undertaken using a phenomenological approach with patients who were in a rehabilitation environment, had a tracheostomy, and were non-vocal on a ventilator. The sample size consisted of 19 participants, 10