Basic Care (Adults)
Tracheostomy tubes often have an 'inner cannula' or 'inner tube'. This is a tube within the outer tube which can be removed and cleaned easily, without having to change the whole (outer) tracheostomy tube. Inner cannulae do narrow the tracheotomy tube which can make it harder to breathe through. This can be a problem if the patient is attached to a ventilator.
Different tracheostomy tubes have different types of inner cannulae, which we explain in this video.
For these inner canula with a twisting mechanism ("Trachoe Twist (Plus)", "Kapitex" or "Shiley" brands usually) the manufactureres recommend swapping the "dirty" tube you remove for a new "clean" inner tube immediately. The dirty tube can then be cleaned, dried and stored ready to be used as the clean tube at the next tube change. Non-disposable inner cannulae usually last the lifetime of the outer tube, but you should dispose of them if they are difficult to clean or damaged.
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