title: Management of emergency situations in patients undergoing tracheostomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge of health care professionals in an emergency situation related to tracheostomy tube displacement
  
  
  METHODS
  a descriptive and exploratory study was carried out with the intensive care unit health professionals of a university hospital in Salvador, Brazil, from July to September 2007. For this purpose, a questionnaire was translated and adapted from a previous study. Questions were: 1- Have you dealt with this emergency? 2 - What is the first thing you do? 3- Do you know what the stay sutures are for? 4 - How are they used in an emergency setting? 5 -Do you know what to do with the introducer?
  
  
  RESULTS
  the sample comprised 41 professionals (nine physicians, 20 nurses and 12 physiotherapists). A descriptive analysis showed that 63% of professionals had never experienced such complications. Analysis of a subgroup showed that 42% of physiotherapists, 56% of physicians and 69% of nurses would act inappropriately. Analyzing the level of knowledge about the importance of stay sutures, the study showed that 78% of the sample did not know what they were or how to use them, and 63.4% did not know how to use the introducer correctly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  , regarding the use of a tracheostomy tube in a situation of emergency, the level of knowledge of the professionals evaluated was insufficient. The greatest shortcoming was detected in the level of knowledge about stay sutures.
authors.affiliation: Hospital da Cidade, Salvador, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paulo Eugênio
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Hospital Santa Izabel, Salvador, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Milena Carolina Martins da
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Hospital Santa Izabel, Salvador, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lucas Montano Paternostro
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Saback
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, Hospital da Cidade, Salvador, BA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Júlio Leal Bandeira
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Neves