Airway management is a major component of the respiratory therapist’s role in the mechanically ventilated patient and many of our patients require long-term artificial airway support. Though the placement of a tracheostomy may be a common procedure, many questions surround best practice for safe and successful maintenance of the airway. This presentation, focused on both adult and pediatric patient populations, will discus the indications for tracheostomy placement, selection criteria for the type of airway utilized, factors involved in tracheostomy management, challenges faced by both patients and respiratory therapists, and the respiratory therapist’s vital role in the multidisciplinary approach to managing patients with tracheostomies.
Presented by Julia Lawrence MSHP, RRT-NPS and Ankeet Patel MS, RRT-ACCS
Approved for 1.0 CRCE hour
Original Webcast Date December 5, 2018
**Please note that all programs require the participant to view the entire program prior to taking the final quiz and obtaining a course certificate.**
- Identify indications for tracheostomy in the adult and pediatric populations
- Discuss selection criteria for tracheostomy types based on patient need, clinical indication, and availability
- Identify factors involved in tracheostomy management (as an aside, this would include suctioning, attachments, emergencies, etc.)
- Discuss challenges encountered by patients and respiratory therapists in the home, acute care setting, and long-term care setting
- Discuss the respiratory therapists role in the management of tracheostomies