Question

The respiratory status of a client with guillain-barré syndrome progressively deteriorates and a tracheostomy is performed. nasogastric tube feedings are prescribed. the nurse should manage the tracheostomy cuff by

Answer 1

Considering that the patient is on assisted ventilation (patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome normally ends up in diaphragmatic paralysis and respiratory failure) the patient is on oral feedings thru nasogastric tube. For the reason that, since the patient is breathing via a tracheostomy tube, the danger of aspiration from oral feedings is big that this can be blocked by closing the the tracheostomy cuff by means of inflating it during feedings to avoid aspiration.