While the nurse is changing the ties on a tracheostomy collar, the patient coughs, dislodging the tracheostomy tube. Which action will the nurse take first?
A) Press the emergency response button.
B) Insert a spare tracheostomy with the obturator.
C) Manually occlude the tracheostomy with sterile gauze.
D) Place a face mask delivering 100% oxygen over the nose and mouth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse's first priority is to establish a stable airway by inserting a spare trach into the patient's airway; ideally an obturator should be used. The nurse could activate the emergency response team if the patient is still unstable after the tracheostomy is placed. A patient with a tracheostomy breathes through the tube, not the nose or mouth; a face mask would not be an effective method of getting air into the lungs. Manually occluding pressure over the tracheostomy site is not appropriate and would block the patient's only airway.

While the Nurse Is Changing the Ties on a Tracheostomy