Tracheostomy Basics
What is the opening created in the neck during a tracheostomy procedure?
Air can move through both the mouth and the neck.
What is a GREEN airway?
These patients cannot be intubated through the mouth or nose but can breathe through both.
What makes a YELLOW airway patient different?
This patient only breathes through a hole in the neck.
What is a RED airway patient?
Preop supply area
Where are the travel trach supplies kept?
The primary purpose of a tracheostomy is to improve this vital function.
What is breathing or airway management?
Use a bag-mask on the face and have someone cover the stoma.
How do you ventilate a GREEN airway patient?
Ventilate through the neck stoma using a pediatric mask or LMA.
How do you ventilate a YELLOW airway patient?
Never ventilate through the mouth or nose.
What should you NOT do for a RED airway patient?
Airway color signs should be placed in this location so responders can quickly identify the patient's airway type.
Where is the head of the bed?
This is the term for a tracheostomy tube with a balloon-like structure that seals the airway.
What is a cuffed tracheostomy tube?
Try oral intubation or place an LMA
What is the next step if a GREEN airway patient is not ventilating well?
If ventilation is poor, have someone cover the mouth and nose.
What can help improve ventilation through the stoma on a yellow trach?
Place a pediatric mask or LMA over the stoma.
How do you ventilate a RED airway patient?
This is the term for the inner part of the tracheostomy tube that can be removed for cleaning.
What is the inner cannula?
Use standard oral airway maneuvers and oral or nasal airway adjuncts.
What basic airway techniques are used for a GREEN airway patient?
Code blue
When a patient loses their airway, this is the code called
Suction the stoma and ventilate through it if the patient is not breathing well.
What should you do when a RED airway stoma is open but the patient is struggling to breathe?
True or False: Every tracheostomy patient should have emergency equipment available at the bedside.
True
Exhaled CO₂ on waveform capnography shows air is moving through the airway.
What does waveform capnography tell you?
If no one can place a tube yet, put a mask over the stoma and call for help.
What should you do while waiting for airway experts?
Look, listen, and feel at the stoma for airflow.
How do you check if air is moving through a RED airway?