Instructed patient how do I care for my skin around my trach tube. Clean your skin at least once each day. You may need to clean it more often if you cough up a lot of thick mucus. You may need someone to help you clean your skin. Wash your hands and put on gloves. This will prevent infection. Suction the area around your stoma. This will help remove mucus .Clean your skin around the stoma, clean the tube flanges, change wet or dirty trach ties., place a gauze between your skin and the flanges and check your skin every day for signs of infection. Look for redness or swelling of the skin around your tube. Also look for pus, bleeding, or a rash.
Tracheostomy care Instructed patient caregiver Signs and symptoms of difficulty breathing are: Retractions Pulling of the skin between the ribs, under the breastbone or around the trach itself. Also symptoms of difficulty breathing are: Sweaty and pale skin, a person is sweaty and pale and seems to be working hard to breathe while at rest, dusky lips or nail beds. The lips or nail beds look dark, dusky or blue.
Instructed patient on signs and symptoms that indicate a need for suctioning include: Seeing mucus in the opening of the trach tube or hearing mucus in the airway Increased respiratory rate or effort Retractions (which is seen when the skin between the ribs pulls in while breathing.
Instructed patient on signs and symptoms that indicate a need for suctioning include: Nasal flaring (which is seen when the nostril flares out when a person breaths in) Change in skin color from normal to pale or blue Changes in activity, such as if a child is upset or inconsolable, or appears to be sleepy Increased coughing.