Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Hi, it’s Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM , where we instantly improve the lives of Families of critically ill Patients in Intensive Care, so that you can have PEACE OF MIND, real power, real control and so that you can influence decision making fast, even if you’re not a doctor or a nurse in Intensive Care!
This is another episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and in last week’s episode I answered another question from our readers and the question last week was
How long can a breathing tube or an endotracheal tube can stay in?
You can check out last week’s episode by clicking on the link here!
In this week’s episode of “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” I want to look at Tracheostomies and why your loved one may need a Tracheostomy!
WHY DOES MY LOVED ONE NEED A TRACHEOSTOMY IN INTENSIVE CARE?
A Tracheostomy tube is often used in Intensive Care for the purpose to wean a Patient off the ventilator. It is usually the next step after somebody has been “deemed” a difficult or slow wean off the ventilator. Generally if your loved one is expected to be on the ventilator for more than 7 days, a Tracheostomy insertion would be necessary. This time frame might vary from unit to unit to plus minus a few days.
A Tracheostomy can be performed percutaneously(needle puncture of the skin) or surgically. Both techniques are widely used in current surgical practice and the difference from an ICU perspective is usually that the percutaneous Tracheostomy insertion is performed in Intensive Care by the ICU doctors and the surgical Tracheostomy is performed in the operating theatre by a surgeon.
Once a Tracheostomy has been performed, usually the sedation for breathing tube tolerance can be taken away and your loved one is able to be ‘woken up’. Once a Tracheostomy is in place ventilation can be tolerated so much easier, as generally no sedation is necessary. Your loved one will be able to have their teeth brushed properly and generally have good mouth care.
Also, Tracheostomy ventilation is so much easier to be tolerated as the Tracheostomy generally doesn’t cause any pain or discomfort.
As you might have already seen, your loved one can also have a good cough and suctioning sputum tends to be a lot easier as well.
Recommended resources:
Now, lets look at the most important part of the Tracheostomy in Intensive Care. Generally speaking, if your loved one is ventilated in Intensive Care and has a Tracheostomy, your loved one can be taken off the ventilator as soon as he or she is more awake and your loved one should then be in a position to be gradually weaned off the ventilator. It still might take a while and whilst the start of the weaning process can be slow, with maybe 2 hours off the ventilator per day initially and then increasing the time off the ventilator from there, it is a good starting point.
There still can be setbacks though during the weaning process and you and your critically ill loved one might have to be patient. It is hard to put a time frame on how long it takes to
a) Being weaned off the ventilator and
b) Have the Tracheostomy removed
It often depends on what other things your critically ill loved one has going on.
Sometimes Patients do go back to a ward with the Tracheostomy still in place and without a ventilator and sometimes both, the ventilator and the Tracheostomy will be removed before your loved one can go to the ward.
Sometimes the ventilation and the Tracheostomy might be prolonged and sometimes your loved one might end up staying in Intensive Care for a prolonged period. Setbacks such as infections or an extensive premedical history can make the weaning process more difficult. Other factors might come into play as well such as the lack of Quality of life and depression in Intensive Care.
How can you have PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care?
You get to that all important feeling of PEACE OF MIND, CONTROL, POWER AND INFLUENCE when you download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report NOW by entering your email below! In Your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” report you’ll learn quickly how to get PEACE OF MIND, real power and real control and how you can influence decision making fast, whilst your loved one is critically ill in Intensive Care! Your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” Report gives you in-depth insight that you must know whilst your loved one is critically ill or is even dying in Intensive Care! Sign up and download your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT now by entering your email below! In your FREE “INSTANT IMPACT” REPORT you’ll learn how to speak the “secret” Intensive Care language so that the doctors and the nurses know straight away that you are an insider and that you know and understand what’s really happening in Intensive Care! In your FREE report you’ll also discover
- How to ask the doctors and the nurses the right questions
- Discover the many competing interests in Intensive Care and how your critically ill loved one’s treatment may depend on those competing interests
- How to eliminate fear, frustration, stress, struggle and vulnerability even if your loved one is dying
- 5 mind blowing tips& strategies helping you to get on the right path to PEACE OF MIND, control, power and influence in your situation
- You’ll get real world examples that you can easily adapt to your and your critically ill loved one’s situation
- How to stop being intimidated by the Intensive Care team and how you will be seen as equals
- You’ll get crucial ‘behind the scenes’ insight so that you know and understand what is really happening in Intensive Care
- How you need to manage doctors and nurses in Intensive Care(it’s not what you think)
Thank you for tuning into this week’s “YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and I’ll see you again in another update next week! Make sure you also check out our BLOG section for more tips and strategies or send me an email to [email protected] with your questions!
Or you can call us! Find international phone numbers on our contact tab.
Also check out our Products section where you get more Ebooks, Videos and Audio recordings and where you can also get 1:1 consulting with me over the phone or via Skype by clicking on the products tab!
This is Patrik Hutzel from INTENSIVECAREHOTLINE.COM and I’ll see you again next week with another update!
Your friend
Patrik Hutzel
Related Articles: