Discuss the implications of long and short term tracheostomy tubes on physiotherapy patient management - Essay Example

Inhibition of the airway by any foreign body in the lynx is also a reason that would lead to a tracheotomy. The other reason is the inability to remove any secretions from the trachea. Another reason is sleeping problems in obese individuals leading to restricted breathing (Johnson, Gluckman, & Sanders, 2001). Lastly damage to the vocal cord which causes swallowing difficulties that lead to aspiration problems is another major reason. The management of patients with tracheotomy tubes is carried out by an individual with specialized skill to avoid any complications (Wijesinghe & Gough, 2000).

The patients require regular care on the tracheotomy tube to ensure they are clean and are in good working conditions (Goldstein, 2004). The wound should be cleaned regularly to avoid infection that may lead to complications later. The pipes need to be suctioned regularly to avoid any blockages that may impede with the regular functioning of the tracheotomy-tubes (Ji, Kim & Park, 2002). The patients need to be educated on basic measures that they should observe in order to decrease the risk of infections and on how to care for the tracheotomy tubes (Lewarski, 2005).

For example the patients should ensure that they avoid touching the tracheotomy tubes with unclean hands. In addition the patients should be advised to clean the wound when instructed to by the medical practitioner only (May & Porter, 2008). The patients are advised to see a doctor if they experience any pain or notice any thing out of the ordinary to ensure that any complication or issue is attended to on time (Morris & Afifi, 2010). The management of the care givers who take care of tracheotomy patients is done through proper training.

These care givers who are physiotherapists are provided with the correct equipment to ensure that they offer the patients the best care. These equipments include