A recent study has focused on reviewing and summarizing evidence pertaining to care and maintenance of tracheostomy patients in the ICU. The objective was to present a comprehensive review of postoperative care, complication management, rehabilitation support, and multidisciplinary collaboration in tracheostomy care. The approach was systematic, employing the ‘6S’ evidence-based model to gather data from multiple literature sources.
Searches focused on evidence regarding tracheostomy patient care, which revolved around factors like maintenance, nursing measures, quality improvement, and multidisciplinary collaboration. The time frame stretched from the inception of the databases to March 2025. Two researchers independently evaluated the literature quality, data extraction, and evidence synthesising from the publications that met the inclusion criteria.
A total of 12 relevant documents, such as guidelines, expert consensus papers and meta-analyses, were retrieved. 49 best evidence pieces were extracted from these sources, revolved around three main themes, including maintenance and protection, nursing measures, and multidisciplinary collaboration and quality improvement. These were further divided into 15 subthemes, encompassing equipment management, environmental optimization, infection prevention, postoperative care, airway humidification, suctioning, and so on.
The publication summarises optimised evidence regarding the care and management of tracheostomy patients. This systematic compilation provides a robust foundation for evidence-based clinical practice, facilitating the creation of personalised care plans, enhancing patient safety, minimising complications, and promoting recovery. Future research should concentrate on optimizing multidisciplinary collaboration, exploring nurse-led interventions, while accounting for cultural and resource constraints to advance the standardization and personalization of tracheostomy care.