RCSI is hosting a multi-disciplinary tracheostomy and airway intervention course which will run until Thursday, 6 February. The course is being led by Mr Joe Hughes ENT Consultant from Mid-Western Regional Hospital.

This interactive course incorporates lectures, workshops and practical simulations and aims to educate and reduce the fear of tracheostomy to those regular and occasional carers of tracheostomy patients. 

Tracheotomy is a surgical procedure which consists of making an incision on the anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea (windpipe). The resulting stoma (hole), or tracheostomy, can serve independently as an airway or as a site for a tracheostomy tube to be inserted; this tube allows a person to breathe without the use of his or her nose or mouth.

The course will improve clinical skills in the assessment and management of patients with challenging and already secured airway. Participants on the course include healthcare providers such as emergency physicians, surgeons, intensivists and critical care specialists, primary and secondary responders, multi-speciality CNS nursing division, respiratory therapists and speech and language therapists; all of whom are exposed to the demands of tracheostomy and artificial airway in acute hospital and community setting.

The airway intervention component of the course provides clinicians and healthcare specialists the opportunity to familiarise and upgrade current devices and techniques.