Tracheostomy Teaching 1862
Instructed patient what to do if a person has trouble breathing The most common reason for breathing problems, other than an illness, is If you have trouble passing the catheter into the trach and it feels tight, put a few drops of saline into the tube and try to suction again. Do not force the catheter; it may push the plug in further. If you are unable to remove the mucus plug, change the trach tube and try to suction again.
Reviewed November 2017
Reviewed for general reference only. Adapt to your patient, agency policy, and scope of practice.
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