부산대학교 도서관

A 71-year-old man with chronic respiratory failure received transtracheal oxygen therapy (TTO) after being unable to obtain adequate oxygen through a nasal cannula. After a week, he developed cough and then dyspnea. Chest X-ray was normal. Bronchofiberscopy revealed a mucus ball covering the distal end of the catheter in the trachea. The mucus ball was removed by the bronchofiberscope. The development of a mucus ball is the most serious problem in TTO. It transpired that he had forgotten his instruction to daily remove the mucus strips from the end of the catheter. Daily removal of the catheter is very important in order to prevent the formation of a mucus ball. TTO offers several benefits but has some disadvantages. Therefore careful maintenance is important.