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Tracheostomy dislodgement
From WikEM
Contents
Background
- Pts who have undergone a laryngectomy cannot be orally intubated
- Average size:
- Adult: 5-10mm
- Peds: 2.5-6.5mm
Clinical Features
Differential Diagnosis
Tracheostomy complications
- Tracheostomy obstruction
- Tracheostomy dislodgement
- Tracheostomy infection
- Tracheostomy bleeding
Evaluation
- Determine whether tube is dislodged from the trachea, but not from the neck
- Does a suction catheter pass without difficulty? If not, remove the tube
Management
- If fresh tracheostomy, may be able to pull at stay sutures to bring airway anterior
- BVM and look for bubbling at tracheostomy site
