Introduction:

Tracheotomy is commonly used in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing major surgery.

Purpose:

To identify the nursing interventions in the safe decannulation process in patients undergoing head and neck cancer surgery.

Methods:

Rapid systematic review on MEDLINE and CIHNAL, January 2023.

Results:

Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The nursing interventions was grouped into before, during and after the decannulation.

Conclusion:

Literature review shows the need for a structured nursing process supporting safe decannulation. The team must ensure that the reason for performing the tracheotomy were resolved and that no anesthetic or surgical procedure is foreseen shortly. These are essential factors associated with the state of consciousness, deflated tube cuff and tube cap tolerance prior decannulation. The literature highlights the need for experienced teams, including nurses, to ensure the safe decannulation process.

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