Home Tracheostomy Care Research Articles

TrachGPT: Appraisal of tracheostomy care recommendations from an artificial intelligent Chatbot.

Safe home tracheostomy care requires engagement and troubleshooting by patients, who may turn to online, AI-generated information sources. This study assessed the quality of ChatGPT responses to such queries. In this cross-sectional study, ChatGPT was prompted with 10 hypothetical tracheostomy care questions in three domains (complication management, self-care advice, and lifestyle adjustment). Responses were graded by four otolaryngologists for appropriateness, accuracy, and overall score. The readability of responses was evaluated using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKRGL). Descriptive statistics and ANOVA testing were performed with statistical significance set to p < .05. On a scale of 1-5, with 5 representing the greatest appropriateness or overall score and a 4-point scale with 4 representing the highest accuracy, the responses exhibited moderately high appropriateness (mean = 4.10, SD = 0.90), high accuracy (mean = 3.55, SD = 0.50), and moderately high overall scores (mean = 4.02, SD = 0.86). Scoring between response categories (self-care recommendations, complication recommendations, lifestyle adjustments, and special device considerations) revealed no significant scoring differences. Suboptimal responses lacked nuance and contained incorrect information and recommendations. Readability indicated college and advanced levels for FRE (Mean = 39.5, SD = 7.17) and FKRGL (Mean = 13.1, SD = 1.47), higher than the sixth-grade level recommended for patient-targeted resources by the NIH. While ChatGPT-generated tracheostomy care responses may exhibit acceptable appropriateness, incomplete or misleading information may have dire clinical consequences. Further, inappropriately high reading levels may limit patient comprehension and accessibility. At this point in its technological infancy, AI-generated information should not be solely relied upon as a direct patient care resource.

Sim-Based Home Tracheostomy Care: A Mixed Methods Study on Outcomes and Parental Preparedness.

To assess effects of a Simulation-Based Discharge Education Program (SDP) on long-term caregiver-reported satisfaction and to compare clinical outcomes for children with new tracheostomies whose caregivers completed SDP versus controls. The study employed a mixed methods approach: (1) a qualitative analysis of feedback from caregivers who previously completed SDP, and (2) a quantitative retrospective case-control study comparing outcomes between children with new tracheostomies whose caregivers completed SDP versus controls, matched on discharge disposition and age. The primary outcome was emergency department visits for tracheostomy-related issues within 1 year of discharge. Feedback from 18 interviews was coded into 5 themes: knowledge acquisition, active learning, comfort and preparedness, home application of skills, and overall assessment. Caregivers of 27 children (median age 26 months [interquartile range (IQR) 5.5 months-11 years]) underwent SDP training. Clinical outcomes of these children were compared with 27 matched children in the non-SDP group (median age 16 months [IQR 3.5 months-10 years]). There was no significant difference in ED visits for tracheostomy-related complications within 1 year of discharge between the SDP group and non-SDP group (2 [IQR 0-2] vs 1 [IQR 0-2], P = .2). Caregivers reported overwhelmingly positive experiences with SDP that persisted even 4 years after training. Caregiver participation in SDP did not yield a significant difference in ED visits within 1 year of discharge for tracheostomy-related complications compared with control counterparts. Future steps will identify more effective methods for comparing and analyzing clinical outcomes to further validate impacts of simulation-based programs.

Assessment of Tracheostomy Tube Placement and Late Change Practices in an Academic Tertiary Care Center.

Introduction The optimal time for tracheostomy changes is unknown. Most surgeons opt to wait until five to seven days postoperatively, while more recent studies suggest that changes occurring as early as two to three days postoperatively are also safe. Objective To evaluate the safety of changing the tracheostomy tube later than 14 days postoperatively. Methods The charts of patients who underwent tracheostomy placement and change at a tertiary care center from 2015 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed, and the subjects were divided into 2 cohorts (late and very late), depending on the time of the first tracheostomy change. Results The study included 198 patients, 53 of whom aged between 0 and 18 years, and 145, aged > 18 years. The time until the first tracheostomy change was on average of 131.1 days. The most common indication for tracheostomy tube placement was prolonged intubation. Adverse events were observed in 30.8% of the cases (the most common being the formation of granulation tissue), a rate that does not differ much from the incidence reported in the literature (of 34% to 77%) when tracheostomy tubes are changed as early as 3 to 7 days postoperatively. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between patients undergoing late and very late changes ( p = 0.688), or between pediatric and adult subjects ( p = 0.36). There were no significant correlations regarding the time of the first or second change and the incidence of complications (r = -0.014; p = 0.84 for the first change; and r = -0.57; p = 0.64 for the second change). Conclusion The late first tracheostomy tube change was safe and could save resources and decrease the financial burden of frequent changes. It is always crucial to provide adequate information about home tracheostomy care for patients.

Pediatric Home Tracheostomy Care: The Importance of Knowledge Assessment

Assessment of caregiver knowledge is an essential part of home healthcare education for pediatric tracheostomy care, however, there is a paucity of evidence in long term. This study aims to determine how caregiver knowledge and misconceptions, as assessed by our knowledge test, changed over a 12-month period following our educational program and whether the test score was associated with any demographics of the caregivers and children with tracheostomy. A prospective cohort study was undertaken to evaluate the knowledge at 3 timepoints after tracheostomy education: baseline (T1), 6 months (T2), and 12 months (T3). Test scores were analyzed for trend and relationship with demographics. Items for which less than 80% caregivers gave correct responses at T1 were considered common misconceptions. Fifty-four caregivers were enrolled. Out of a maximum score of 25, the median (IQR) scores were 22 (21-23), 23 (22-24), and 23 (22-25), at T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The scores at T2 and T3 were significantly higher than at T1 ( P ≤ .01). One common misconception “how to manage when suction got less secretion than expected” was found at all timepoints. Caregivers of children with &gt;2 comorbidities scored slightly higher than those of children with 0 to 2 comorbidities ( P = .01). In conclusion, our caregivers achieved high knowledge scores which increased over the 12-month study period potentially because of repeated assessment and practical experience. Common misconceptions and a factor associated with the knowledge were also identified. These advantages highlighted the importance of knowledge assessment for quality improvement.

Tracheostomy Practices for Mechanically Ventilated Patients in Malawi.

BackgroundTracheostomy is used for patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation. Extensive research has described the provision and optimal timing of tracheostomy, but very little describes tracheostomy utilization in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsThis prospective cohort study describes patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary hospital in Malawi who received tracheostomy versus those who did not, with a primary outcome of hospital mortality. We performed subgroup analysis of patients with severe head injuries.ResultsThe analysis included 451 patients admitted to the study ICU between September 2016 and July 2018. Overall hospital mortality was 40% for patients who received tracheostomy and 63% for patients who did not. Logistic regression modeling revealed an odds ratio (OR) of 0.34 (95% CI 0.18–0.64) for hospital mortality among patients who received tracheostomy versus those who did not (p < 0.001). Standardized mortality ratio weighting revealed an odds ratio of 0.81 (95% CI 0.65–0.99, p < 0.001) for hospital death among patients who received tracheostomy versus those who did not. In the subgroup excluding severe head injury, both ICU (50%) and hospital mortality (75%) were higher overall, but hospital mortality was not more common for patients with tracheostomy versus without (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.94–1.74, p = 0.104).ConclusionsTracheostomy is not associated with hospital mortality in a Malawi ICU cohort, but these results are affected by the presence of head injury. Research may focus on home tracheostomy care given the lack of hospital discharge options for patients in austere settings.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00268-021-06176-3.

International Pediatric Otolaryngology Group (IPOG) survey: Efforts to avoid complications in home tracheostomy care

ObjectiveTo provide guidance for home care tracheostomy management in the pediatric population. The mission of the IPOG is to develop expertise-based recommendations for the management of pediatric otolaryngologic disorders with the goal of improving patient care. MethodsSurvey of expert opinion by the members of the International Pediatric Otolaryngology Group (IPOG). ResultsSurvey results provide guidance for caregiver teaching, the reuse of tracheostomies and suction catheters while inpatient and following discharge, acceptable sterilization practices for tracheostomies, tracheitis workup and management, and outpatient follow-up practices. ConclusionThis presentation of common home tracheostomy care practices are aimed at improving patient-centered care in the pediatric population.

Pediatric tracheostomy: a 13-year experience.

Pediatric tracheostomy has been reported to be a surgical procedure with significant morbidity and mortality. The use of tracheostomy in airway management has changed over time as regards indication and outcome. A review of the last 13 years' experience in our institution was carried out to focus on this group of patients and the recent trends in airway management. A retrospective analysis of hospital records was done and information collected with respect to age, gender, indication for tracheostomy, duration, complications, and follow-up. Thirty-nine tracheotomies were done in 36 patients, of whom males outnumbered females 2:1. The mean patient age was 41.6 months while nearly a third were newborns. The indications were congenital and acquired obstructive lesions. Apart from nine cases, all have been treated and decannulated. Follow-up ranged from 1 month to 8 years, and decannulation time from 48 h to 45 months. Home tracheostomy care was very well managed by the parents. One tracheostomy-related death was encountered. Complications were minor and transient and occurred post-decannulation in our series, in contrast to the major complications, both acute and chronic, reported in the literature. More neonates and infants are undergoing tracheostomy and surviving. Pediatric tracheostomy is a safe procedure with home care by parents feasible.

Effective strategies to prepare infants and families for home tracheostomy care.

In neonates tracheostomies are most often indicated to provide a stable airway for infants with congenital or acquired airway obstructions and to provide long-term mechanical ventilation. Learning to care for an infant with a tracheostomy can be challenging for both professionals and families. This article provides an overview of tracheostomy care and the essential elements of family teaching. The surgical procedure and basic anatomical changes are reviewed. Complications such as accidental decannulation, mucus plugging, infection, bleeding, and granulation tissue formation are discussed. Humidification is critical for the infant with a tracheostomy and humidification delivery methods are discussed. Further, an overview of the impact of the tracheostomy on normal development, such as swallowing and language development, is provided. Teaching parents to safely care for the infant with a tracheostomy at home requires careful planning and systematic education. The parents must acquire a unique set of technical skills demonstrating competence and comfort in providing stoma care, suctioning, and tube changes. Parents must be prepared to initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and need to understand alterations in CPR techniques in infants with a tracheostomy. They also need to develop critical thinking skills to handle emergency situations. A safe transition to the home can be accomplished by using a multidisciplinary approach to coordinate all facets of care.

The safety of home tracheostomy care for children

Home tracheostomy care avoids prolonged hospitalization for tracheostomized children who must remain cannulated for a long time; however the safety aspects of this form of management are still under discussion. Since 1987 the authors have tutored parents in tracheostomy care. Once parental training was complete and the necessary equipment (aspirator, humidifier, etc) provided, children in stable condition were discharged and had period follow-up as outpatients. Thirty-four children had a total of 710 months in home care; 11 of them had decannulation. The only reported complications were two partial obstructions of the cannula and two accidental decannulations. The low number of documented accidents and the parents' profound appreciation in having their children at home indicate that patients with a tracheostomy in need of long-term care can be safely managed at home.

Tracheostomy in children with emphasis on home care

Tracheostomy in children is not a benign procedure. Tracheostomy-related mortality rates among children have been previously reported to be as high as 10% to 27%. Children with tracheostomies are especially vulnerable after home discharge with mortality rates of 0.5 to 2 deaths per 100 months at home. In order to assess the impact of extensive parental education and home nursing care on tracheostomy-related mortality, we report our experience over 9 years with 44 children receiving tracheostomies. Each child was maintained at home with a tracheostomy for an average of 19 months for a total of 635 months of home tracheostomy care. Indications for tracheostomy were tracheomalacia (32%), obstructive airway lesions (23%), central nervous system lesions (16%), vocal cord paralysis (9%), Pierre Robin syndrome (9%), and a list of miscellaneous conditions (11%). Our tracheostomy care regimen begins with intensive parental training in tracheostomy management for a minimum of 10 days prior to discharge. Home nursing was arranged for 77% of these children for an average of 11 hours per day at the time of discharge. Eighty-three percent had home apnea monitors. Discharge of these children was delayed or transfer to a secondary hospital was made when parents failed to show adequate proficiency in tracheostomy management with existing home nursing. Eight percent were ventilator dependent at discharge. As of January 1, 1989, 34% of these children have been decannulated. There were six deaths, all due to underlying disease. There were no tracheostomy-related deaths in hospital or after discharge home. We conclude that children with tracheostomies can be managed safely as outpatients with a regimen of extensive parental education combined with qualified home nursing supervision in selected cases.

Silver tracheostomy tube obturator in the tracheobroncial tree

An unusual incident of aspiration of a silver tracheostomy tube obturator is described. Common sense advice to patients performing home tracheostomy care may help avoid similar occurrences in the future.