Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
allnurses

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.
Discussion

decannulation risk question

In reading a pt. chart in clinical I noted "High decannulation risk score = 14". Unfortunately I don't understand what is the actual risk and what I should be monitoring for. The pt no longer has a trach and my understand is the risk score is given to pt with a trach. Would appreciate some clarification. Why is a risk score given? How's at high risk? What nursing interventions/monitoring should be done? :uhoh3:

Featured Replies

  • Experts

Decannulation is removal of the tracheostomy. I've never heard of a score being attached to this. My guess is that the facility must have some sort of scoring system for patient's that are, perhaps, likely to pull their tracheostomy tubes out. That would be a heads up to anyone taking care of the patient to be careful in making sure the patient can't reach the tube in order to pull it out. I would ask the nurses in the ICU where the patient probably was at the time he had the trach or one of the respiratory therapists about this. It may just be something that this facility came up with to identify and prevent problems that they've had before.

I agree with the above post. I've also never heard of a risk score for this, and assume it's facility-dependent. Maybe they had a problem with this happening.

In ICU, a high-risk pt for decannulation may be confused, disoriented, head-injured, waking up from anesthesia etc. It may also just be a noncompliant pt. If someone is a high risk for decannulation, you would monitor carefully, continue to grab their hands to stop the pulling, secure the tube carefully, sedate them if necessary, restrain them if necessary etc. You'd also make sure you had replacement cannulae/trach kit/forceps at the bedside (you do this for every trach pt).

If he no longer has a trach, it's irrelevant.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Go to topic listing

Currently Reading 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.