Tracheostomy Education

Send us Fan Mail  summary In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast , Nicole DePalma continues the two-part discussion on decannulation with Dr. Jerry Gentile. This episode focuses on what happens after a patient is tolerating capping, how long to monitor before trach removal, the role of FEES in evaluating secretion management and aspiration risk, and what clinicians should know about...

Send us Fan Mail This episode features Dr. Jerry Gentile and Nicole DePalma discuss the comprehensive process of decannulation for tracheostomy patients. Topics include criteria for safe decannulation, weaning protocols, cuff deflation, downsizing, speaking valves, and special considerations for sleep apnea and obesity. Essential insights for healthcare professionals involved in airway management....

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Nicole DePalma, Dr. Jerry Gentile, and guest Gene Gantt discuss the complexities of respiratory care in nursing homes, the importance of accreditation, and the impact of standards of care on patient outcomes. They explore the challenges facilities face in managing costs while ensuring quality care, and how proper implementatio...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Nicole DePalma and Dr. Jerry Gentile speak with Gene Gantt, president of Eventa, about the challenges and innovations in respiratory care for patients with tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation, particularly in long-term settings. They discuss the development of outcomes-based reimbursement models, the issues surrounding wea...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Nicole and Jerry discuss swallowing management for patients with tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation. They explore the increased risk of aspiration, the importance of thorough assessments by speech pathologists, and the use of instrumental assessments like FEES and modified barium swallow studies. The conversation also tou...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Nicole and Jerry discuss the critical aspects of swallowing management for patients with tracheostomies. They explore the high risk of aspiration, the role of speech language pathologists, and the impact of cuffs on swallowing safety. The conversation emphasizes the importance of proper assessment and the need for a multidisci...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Dr. Jerry Gentile and Nicole discuss various communication options for patients with tracheostomy tubes. They explore the anatomy of normal voicing, the importance of speaking valves, contraindications for their use, and techniques for above the cuff vocalization. The conversation also covers strategies for capping and decannu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Dr. Jerry Gentile and Nicole DePalma discuss the various communication options available for patients with tracheostomy tubes. They explore the anatomy of normal voicing, the impact of tracheostomy on communication, the consequences of communication barriers, and the different methods to facilitate communication, including non...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Nicole and Dr. Jerry Gentile continue their deep dive into the critical role of humidification in respiratory care. They break down the science of humidity, the different types of humidifiers, and their practical applications, particularly for patients with tracheostomies. The discussion highlights why maintaining proper humidity levels is essential for airway hea...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Dr. Jerry Gentile and Nicole DePalma discuss the critical role of humidification,  particularly for patients with tracheostomies. The conversation covers the definitions of humidity, the physiological processes of the upper airway, and the implications of bypassing natural humidification through artificial airways. The importa...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, Dr. Jerry Gentile discusses the intricacies of admitting patients from acute to post-acute care facilities. He emphasizes the importance of understanding Medicare requirements, the challenges of staffing and resource allocation, and the critical role of respiratory therapists in patient assessment and care planning. The conver...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast features Dr. Jerry Gentile discussing the complexities of admitting patients from acute care to skilled nursing facilities. The conversation covers the admission process, the role of patient review instruments (PRI), financial dynamics of care, challenges in ventilator management, and the criteria for accepting patients based on t...

Send us Fan Mail This conversation delves into the critical differences between tracheostomy and laryngectomy procedures, focusing on their indications, risks, and management. The discussion highlights the permanent nature of laryngectomy, the importance of voice restoration techniques, and the role of the TEP device. Emergency management strategies for laryngectomy patients are also explored, emp...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Jerry Gentile discusses the high flow nasal cannula, its mechanisms, benefits, components, and patient suitability.  Nicole DePalma discusses the risks and considerations for safe swallowing with high flow nasal cannula. The conversation emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in managing patients on high flow nasal cannula. 00:00 Introduc...

Send us Fan Mail This conversation focuses on non-invasive ventilation (NIV) as a critical technique in respiratory therapy, emphasizing its role in preventing the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy. Dr. Jerry Gentile explains the principles of NIV, the importance of patient cooperation, and the steps involved in initiating and monitoring the therapy. The discussion also cov...

Send us Fan Mail This conversation delves into the importance of non-invasive ventilation techniques in preventing invasive mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy. Dr. Jerry Gentile explains the mechanics, indications, contraindications, and various modes of non-invasive ventilation, emphasizing the role of healthcare professionals in ensuring patient comfort and effective treatment. Support the...

Send us Fan Mail The conversation focuses on the alarms set on mechanical ventilators. Dr. Jerry Gentile explains the general ventilator alarm guidelines, including apnea parameters, FIO2 settings, and pressure alarms. He emphasizes the importance of adhering to these guidelines and avoiding dangerous practices like setting high pressure limits too high. Jerry also discusses the reasons for alarms...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is part 2 of mechanical ventilation series.  This conversation provides an in-depth discussion on mechanical ventilation, focusing on the different modes of ventilation including assist control, SIMV, and CPAP.   You can also learn about lung compliance.   The hosts also discuss adjusting ventilator settings to improve patient trigger and different stages of a mechani...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Jerry Gentile discusses mechanical ventilation and its importance in critical and emergency settings. Mechanical ventilation applies positive pressure breaths to patients with impaired ventilation, compromised airways, or respiratory failure. Respiratory therapists need a thorough understanding of mechanical ventilation, airway mechanics, and human anatomy to...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Nicole DePalma and Dr. Jerry Gentile discuss the process of intubation and the confirmation of ET tube placement. They also cover complications that can arise from intubation, such as airway insecurity, dental injuries, and vocal fold damage. The importance of speech pathologists in assessing patients for swallowing disorders after extubation is highlighted. The h...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tracheostomy Education Podcast, the hosts discuss the process of intubation and other artificial airways. They cover topics such as the first steps during a code blue, indications for intubation, contraindications to intubation, and the anatomy and physiology of the airway. They also talk about who typically performs intubation, how to choose the correct siz...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Nicole and Dr. Jerry Gentile continue the discussion on the anatomy of tracheostomy tubes. They discuss cuff and cuffless tracheostomy tubes, fenestrated tubes, and the complications associated with them. In this conversation, Jerry and Nicole discuss various aspects of tracheostomy tubes, including fenestrated trachs, tracheostomy tube capping, different trach tu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Nicole DePalma and Dr. Jerry Gentile discuss the anatomy of tracheostomy tubes. They cover the different components of the tube, such as the hub, outer and inner cannula, and flange. They also explain the differences between double lumen and single lumen tubes, as well as the appropriate sizing of the outer cannula. The conversation also touches on the purpose of...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Nicole DePalma and Dr. Jerry Gentile provide an introduction to tracheostomy. They discuss the differences between tracheostomy and tracheotomy, how a patient breathes through a tracheostomy, and the indications for a tracheostomy. They also explain the different procedures for placing a tracheostomy tube, including surgical and percutaneous methods. The potential...

Send us Fan Mail Patients with tracheostomy are at high risk for preventable adverse events.  Join Dr. Jerry Gentile and Nicole DePalma as they delve into all things tracheostomy.  We hope to improve the safety, care, and lives of patients with tracheostomy.  If you are a healthcare administrator or care provider including physicians, respiratory therapist, speech-language pathologist, nurse, pati...