Eating on the VENT

Patients with trachs who pass swallow evals and are not sedated when they go on the vent can eat. Why would a trach patient on a trach collar be able to eat but not one on a vent?

Here's a good article on the subject.

CCN : Critical Care Nurse

thanks! new to critical care and still operating under the " vent = npo " assumption...

The Passy-Muir® Valve | www.passy-muir.com

Here is a great link which will provide more education about swallowing, eating, trachs and ventilators. It also provides CEs for nurses.

Christopher Reeves, Superman, was a good example of someone who tried to maintain some normal function while being a high level C-section fx.

There are also lots of vent/trach dependent kids eating and leading fairly full lives.

Not every vent dependent patient has a cuffed trach even in adults. If aspiration is an issue, they may be fitted with a trach which has a subplot tic suction port. A cuff rarely prevents aspiration. It may only slow it down. A cuff ' s primary purpose is to form only enough of a seal to ventilate the patient if they need the full volume delivered.

The Passy-Muir® Valve | www.passy-muir.com

Here is a great link which will provide more education about swallowing, eating, trachs and ventilators. It also provides CEs for nurses.

Christopher Reeve, Superman, was a good example of someone who tried to maintain some normal function while being a high level C-section fx.

There are also lots of vent/trach dependent kids eating and leading fairly full lives.

Not every vent dependent patient has a cuffed trach even in adults. If aspiration is an issue, they may be fitted with a trach which has a subplot tic suction port. A cuff rarely prevents aspiration. It may only slow it down. A cuff ' s primary purpose is to form only enough of a seal to ventilate the patient if they need the full volume delivered.