Stoma Care
Providing tracheostomy stoma care
It is important to keep the skin around the child’s tracheostomy clean and dry. This will help prevent infection and skin irritation [6]. Stoma care should be done at least twice a day [2, 6]. If the child has lots of secretions you will need to clean the area more often [7].
How to care for a child’s stoma
- Wash and dry your hands [2].
- Have your child lie down (some older children may prefer to sit up).
- Place a rolled towel under the child’s shoulders to extend their neck [2].
- Look for any red areas, broken skin or secretions around the stoma. If these are getting worse, tell your nurse or doctor [2].
- Gently clean around the tube with gauze or cotton buds and warm water.
- Wipe secretions away from the stoma.
- Dry the skin after cleaning [2, 6].