Tracheostomy Tube Replacement : Role of a Metal Detector (Sonde) for a Patient Presenting with a Difficult Airway

Abstract

An 85-year-old woman with pneumonia had a fresh tracheostomy for prolonged orotracheal intubation. On the 14th day after the tracheostomy, difficulty occurred when attempting to change to a fresh tracheostomy tube, creating a false passage and loss of the airway. After several unsuccessful attempts at changing the tracheal tube for about 5 minutes, we inserted a tracheostomy tube under the guidance of a curved metallic detector which was inserted in the inner space of the tracheostomy tube. The tracheostomy tube could then be reinserted easily and safely. It is suggested that the curved metallic detector may be of benefit when a tracheostomy tube needs to be changed before maturation of the tracheal cutaneous tract.