Volume 10, Issue 5: Emergency tracheostomy and laryngectomy care

Emergency tracheostomy and laryngectomy care – supporting the stoma

You have just managed to swap vehicles after your ambulance unfortunately broke down on the motorway when you receive a call to a 45-year-old male with shortness of breath. When you arrive you realise that this is no ordinary case of shortness of breath, your patient has a tracheostomy…

CPD Benefit

Although encountering a patient with tracheostomy or laryngectomy is likely to be relatively rare in the pre-hospital environment, clinicians need to be confident and competent in managing them. This article defines tracheostomy and laryngectomy and explains the terminology and equipment involved in each of these presentations. It then goes on to examine potential complications and how pre-hospital clinicians can best assess and manage such patients in line with the new JRCALC guidelines, including utilising a stepwise approach alongside visual aids such as algorithms to increase the safety of the care provided.

Assessment Answers and References

You can check your answers to the quiz and download the references for this article by clicking the links below:

Standby CPD – Vol. 10 No. 5 – References

Standby CPD Volume 10 – Assessment Answers