Tracheostomy home care: in a resource-limited setting.
BACKGROUND
Home tracheostomy care for children in South Africa dates back to 1989.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to describe the tracheostomy home programme at Tygerberg Children's Hospital (TCH), situated in a resource-limited setting in Cape Town, South Africa.


METHODS
Retrospective descriptive study.


METHODS
Tracheostomy home programme at TCH. The primary care giver is trained by nurses.


RESULTS
Fifty-six children (29 girls) were discharged to the home programme (47 to home and 9 to institutions). The median age at tracheostomy was 3 months, mainly for airway obstruction. The mean duration of home care was 26.6 months. Twenty-seven children (43%) were successfully decannulated. Seven children lived in informal housing. The 56 children generated 745 social work contacts. The overall survival was 82%.


CONCLUSIONS
Children with tracheostomies can be safely cared for at home, even in a resource-constrained environment, provided training, appropriate technology and social support services are available.
Vanker
A
A
Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg Children's Hospital, PO Box 19063, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa. aneesa@sun.ac.za
Kling
S
S
Booysen
J R
JR
Rhode
D
D
Goussard
P
P
Heyns
L
L
Gie
R P
RP
D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018575:Home Care Services, Hospital-Based / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012947:Social Work; D013019:South Africa; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000451:nursing*; D016896:Treatment Outcome