Tracheostomy care: a clinician's guide

Tracheostomies have become a typical component of the management of patients with prolonged respiratory failure. There are, however, relatively few studies from which to establish an accepted standard of care with regard to the specific features, daily care, and removal of tracheostomy tubes. Consequently, these decisions are sometimes guided by myth and misconception. In this article, we review the different types of tracheostomy tubes with their respective advantages and disadvantages, basic principles of care, recognition of complications, speech with a tracheostomy tube, and the process by which they may sometimes be removed.