Care of the Child with a Chronic Tracheostomy

Janet Johnston, R.N., C.R.N.P.
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Scott H. Davis, M.D.
Tulane University School of Medicine

James M. Sherman, M.D.
University of Florida

Children with a chronic tracheostomy constitute an important subgroup of children who are at risk for significant morbidity from acute or chronic airway compromise. There have been no comprehensive standards published and surprisingly little research performed on this important population of children.
In light of this, several faculty in Pediatric Pulmonary Centers originated an effort to develop a consensus statement regarding care of the child with a chronic tracheostomy. This consensus statement "Care of the Child with a Chronic Tracheostomy" was published as an official statement of the ATS in 2000 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Select faculty members of Pediatric Pulmonary Centers involved in the consensus statement have developed this educational program in an effort to further disseminate the recommendations outlined in this consensus statement.

Pediatric Pulmonary Centers are interdisciplinary training programs within academic pediatric pulmonary programs awarded grant funding by the Maternal Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. Pediatric Pulmonary Centers provide interdisciplinary graduate and post graduate leadership education, continuing education, technical support, research, and clinical services with a focus on children with chronic pulmonary conditions and their families. To learn more about Pediatric Pulmonary Centers and their training opportunities visit their web site at www.mchneighborhood.ichp.edu/ppc/.

This education program about an ATS statement was developed by the University of Alabama Birmingham. Copies of this program on CD in PowerPoint format may be obtained by contacting Janet Johnston at jjohnston@peds.uab.edu or 205-939-5499. The PowerPoint presentation also includes speaker notes for each screen.