| If the tape loosens, the tracheostomy tube may slide out from the stoma, a disastrous complication if the tract has not yet formed. Tracheostomy tape may become loosened in someone with a large neck, or with the wrong size tape. A patient can also pull the tape loose, although the tape should be securely tied on each side of the tracheostomy tube.
The tapes should be changed daily, and if the patient is at home, someone must be taught how to change the tape and what to do if the tracheostomy tube slides out or becomes dislodged during a change of tape. For acute care, only trained personnel manage the tracheostomy. If there is a tract, the tubes may be slipped gently back inside the trachea, aiming posteriorly and down, gently. If there is not a tract, there is no easy way to ventilate the patient, which increases the mortality rate. | | | | |
