Effect of Implementing Tracheostomy Care Guidelines on Patients’ Clinical Outcomes at the Intensive Care Units

Background: Tracheostomy care practices vary widely among healthcare providers,leading to inconsistent patient outcomes; differ widely among healthcare providers andinstitutions, potentially resulting in inconsistent care. Therefore, standardizedtracheostomy care guidelines have been established. The study aimed to evaluate theeffect of implementing tracheostomy care guidelines on patients’ clinical outcomes at theIntensive Care Units. Method: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest research design wasperformed with a purposive sample of 80 patients with tracheostomy recruited from threeIntensive Care Units affiliated with Tanta University Hospitals in Egypt. Data werecollected using four tools: Tool I: Tracheostomy Patients Assessment Sheet. Tool II:Glasgow Coma Scale. Tool III: Tracheostomy Patients Clinical Outcomes. Tool IV:Tracheostomy Adverse Events. Results: The results revealed that statistically significantimprovements were observed regarding mechanical ventilator and physiologicalparameters, and reduced tracheostomy adverse events among the study group (P<0.5).Notably, 15% of the study group achieved a high prediction of successful decannulationtwo weeks post-insertion compared to no one in the control group. Conclusion:Implementing tracheostomy care guidelines markedly improves clinical outcomes byenhancing physiological stability, increasing decannulation success, and reducing adverseevents. Recommendations: Ongoing training program for critical care nurses abouttracheostomy care guidelines for updating their knowledge and practice in the ICU.Monitoring of tracheostomy cuff pressure should be integrated into routine care forcritically ill patients to improve patient’s clinical outcomes and prevent adverse events.