Minitracheostomy: an alternative to "blind" endotracheal suctioning

The critical care nurse is frequently challenged to clear respiratory secretions for patients with thick, copious mucous and a weak cough. The traditional interventions nurses use are chest physiotherapy, incentive spirometry, and "blind" endotracheal suctioning to facilitate the removal of secretions, but these are sometimes ineffective and cause complications. Nurses who identify patients needing a more effective way to remove secretions can request consideration of a new method, suctioning through a minitracheostomy.