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.