What if I have problems with my tracheostomy tube or have trouble breathing?
Call your doctor if you have
- Trouble breathing or have noisy breathing (congestion)
- Dry, crusted secretions (mucus plugs) or blood-colored secretions from your tracheostomy tube
- More secretions than normal from your tracheostomy tube
- Thick, bad-smelling, yellow or green secretions
- Chest pain
- Trouble putting your tracheostomy tube in because your stoma size has gotten smaller
- A temperature of 101 F (38.3 C) or higher
- Redness or skin breakdown around your tracheostomy stoma
- Bleeding around your tracheostomy site
- Trouble swallowing or eating
- The surgery site (incision) is coming apart, has more drainage than normal, or has swelling
How can I be ready for an emergency?
- Talking on the phone may be hard. Post emergency and other important phone numbers, your name, and your address near your phone.
- Know emergency phone numbers wherever you are.
- Wear a medical alert bracelet and/or necklace.
- Get these from a pharmacy. They let people know that you breathe through a tracheostomy tube. The tracheostomy tube should be used as your airway if you need oxygen or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Keep a bag with emergency tracheostomy supplies with you at all times.
Emergency tracheostomy bag supplies
Put these items in a to-go bag to have ready at all times
- Extra tracheostomy tube the same size you are using, with ties on and obturator in place
- Suction catheters
- Water-soluble lubricating jelly and normal saline
- Emergency phone list that is given to you by your health care team