Category
Airway Management Long Term Airway
Typical Use
Provide a stable airway via a stoma for prolonged ventilation or airway protection.
Description
A curved tube inserted through a surgically created stoma in the anterior neck into the trachea to secure the airway for prolonged mechanical ventilation, facilitate pulmonary toilet, or bypass upper airway obstruction, available in cuffed and uncuffed designs and in various materials for adult and pediatric patients. Tracheostomy care includes humidification, suctioning, cuff pressure monitoring, stoma hygiene, and regular tube changes, with multidisciplinary involvement for decannulation planning, speech and swallowing rehabilitation, and prevention of complications such as infection, granulation tissue, or tracheal stenosis. Education of caregivers and clear protocols support safe long term management.