A tracheostomy is a way to provide air to a patient who is having difficulty breathing, and has the possibility of needing to be supported with long term oxygen (Hyzy, 2015). There are many reasons for needing a tracheostomy including long term oxygen need due to some sort of trauma to the area, such as a way to provide supplemental care after a neurological problem or when the lungs are no longer cooperating and doing their part in maintaining oxygen saturation (Hyzy, 2015). It is important to note that while there is a need for the therapy including a tracheostomy, there are many complications that may arise before, during, and after surgery that need to be addressed.
When treating a patient recovering from a recent tracheostomy, the nurse needs to be attentive to many aspects of care. There will be many priorities of care including pain management, patient education, and infection prevention (Hyzy, 2015). It is important for the nurse to maintain the …show more content…
In the case of an obstruction, the trachea becomes less open due to the formation of essentially scar tissue, which can cause a difficulty in breathing even with the tracheostomy (Hyzy, 2015). If this happens, the patient may need to undergo a procedure to help open this airway back up, which includes putting in a new tube that is long enough to be placed past this point of issue (Hyzy, 2015). A pneumothorax can occur, however, this happens rarely. When this happens, the treatment includes chest tube placement, and continued monitoring (Hyzy, 2015). One other complication that can be found is when a hemorrhage occurs, therefore causing extreme damage (Hyzy, 2015). If this is the case, the need for intensive care is important, and monitoring of symptoms is needed (Hyzy,
When treating a patient recovering from a recent tracheostomy, the nurse needs to be attentive to many aspects of care. There will be many priorities of care including pain management, patient education, and infection prevention (Hyzy, 2015). It is important for the nurse to maintain the …show more content…
In the case of an obstruction, the trachea becomes less open due to the formation of essentially scar tissue, which can cause a difficulty in breathing even with the tracheostomy (Hyzy, 2015). If this happens, the patient may need to undergo a procedure to help open this airway back up, which includes putting in a new tube that is long enough to be placed past this point of issue (Hyzy, 2015). A pneumothorax can occur, however, this happens rarely. When this happens, the treatment includes chest tube placement, and continued monitoring (Hyzy, 2015). One other complication that can be found is when a hemorrhage occurs, therefore causing extreme damage (Hyzy, 2015). If this is the case, the need for intensive care is important, and monitoring of symptoms is needed (Hyzy,