Tracheostomy and Ventilator Dependence in Adults and Children

The first of its kind, Tracheostomy and Ventilator Dependence in Adults and Children: Learning Through Case Studies provides clinicians, educators, and students in the fields of speech pathology, otolaryngology, nursing, and respiratory care with detailed descriptions of real-world interventions and treatment strategies. A wide variety of tracheostomy and ventilator dependency cases are presented, including congenital, acquired, and progressive illnesses; surgical cases; and COVID-19 pandemic case studies. The case studies also address both pediatrics and adults in many settings, such as outpatient, inpatient acute care and rehabilitation, ICU, and home care. Written in an engaging tone that focuses on the humans behind the diagnoses, the case studies offer a holistic approach that integrates what is known about physiology and treatment methods into the context of actual patients and their lives. Heterogeneous, ever-changing, and highly complex, this patient population requires skillful and innovative approaches across disciplines. Readers may use this inspiring and educational text as a resource, selecting a case that is similar to one they are facing or may face in the future, which may ultimately help them navigate speech, phonation, vent weaning, and swallowing objectives for their own patients. Each case has a title indicating the primary diagnosis so that readers may easily choose cases that are relevant to their clinical practice or educational objectives. Sourced from speech pathologists, respiratory therapists, nurses, and physicians from around the world, the well-rounded clinical perspectives in these challenging and thought-provoking case studies will facilitate learning and enhance the knowledge of health care professionals, thus helping to improve the care and outcomes of pediatric and adult patients with tracheostomy or ventilator dependence. The book may also be used to supplement academic coursework for health care professionals in fields such as medical speech-language pathology by providing real-world examples of patient care for problem-based learning.