Tracheostoma humidifier: influence on secretion and voice of patients with total laryngectomy.
BACKGROUND
total laryngectomy has several consequences such as loss of the laryngeal voice and alterations in the respiratory system.


OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the influence of a tracheostoma humidifier (heat moisture exchanger - HME) on the control of lung secretion and esophageal and tracheoesophageal vocal quality in patients with total laryngectomy.


METHODS
nine male individuals, aged between 46 to 67 years, submitted to total laryngectomy. The patients answered a protocol containing subjective questions related to lung secretion in three different moments: T1 (pre-use assessment of the HME), T2 (pre-use assessment of the HME six weeks after the first assessment) and T3 (assessment six weeks after the use of the HME). Voice samples were recorded during these 3 different assessments and were evaluated by three speech-language pathologists, in a blind study format, according to a perceptual auditory vocal analysis protocol. The non-parametric test of Wilcoxon was used to compare results of both protocols.


RESULTS
no significant differences were observed for tracheoesophageal and esophageal vocal quality in the three different moments of assessment: T1 (pre-use assessment of the HME), T2 (pre-use assessment of the HME six weeks after the first assessment) and T3 (assessment six weeks after the use of the HME). On the other hand, there were significant differences, after the period of the HME use, regarding occurrence of cough and forced expectoration during the day time.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of the HME during the period of six weeks reduced cough and expectoration of patients with total laryngectomy. However, the use of the humidifier did not have any influence on the tracheoesophageal and esophageal vocal quality of these patients.
Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil. dea_am@uol.com.br
Andrea Cristina Castelhano
AC
Masson
Marina Lang
ML
Fouquet
Antonio Jose
AJ
Gonçalves
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013071:Speech, Alaryngeal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013072:Speech, Esophageal / Q000295:instrumentation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014132:Trachea / Q000502:physiology; D014833:Voice Quality / Q000502:physiology*