So when they stick the tube in your neck because you are choking im unsure in the process to breathe. Is it conscious or what? I’d assume most people don’t know how to breathe from the neck
In: Biology
Respiratory therapist here…your body will continue to breathe as normal and you don’t have to consciously worry about breathing through an opening in your neck. A tracheostomy is placed in order to protect a patient’s airway due to facial/neck trauma, chronic and terminal diseases, or TBI. The most common reason we put in a trach is if the patient requires long term support from the ventilator to breathe. Think of things like ALS, paralysis, certain cancers, etc.
The trach allows us to maintain the airway by suctioning and keeping the airway clear/patent. It sounds a lot scarier than it is. I often explain to patients and families how you can eat and speak with a trach and in many cases we are able to remove the trach all together when/if the patient reaches that point. It just all depends on the case.
Hope this helps!
Latest Answers