The Outcome of Patients with Tracheostomy in a Convalescence Rehabilitation Ward Setting / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the outcome of patients with tracheostomy in a convalescence rehabilitation ward. Of 3,179patients who were discharged from our hospital in 4 years, 78subjects who had tracheostomy tubes at admission were included in the study. Forty-six of those patients (59%) were decannulated during hospitalization. The number of days required for decannulation was 35days on average. While all of the 78subjects had no oral intake at admission, upon discharge, 51subjects (65%) were able to take some kind of oral intake, and 38 of those were able to take oral nutrition fully. Additionally, those patients with consciousness disorders or severe physical impairments often had difficulty with decannulation. However, some cases with severe consciousness disorders or patients who were totally dependent for their physical care were successfully decannulated. Patients who require tracheostomy at the acute stage should be further evaluated for its necessity during the recovery phase. Some of the important aspects to consider in convalescence rehabilitation include evaluating the possibility of changing the type of tracheostomy tubes, examining the possibility of removing the tracheostomy tubes altogether, and performing dysphagia rehabilitation.