trach ties

kshell · #1 05-25-2008, 11:08 PM

Just wondering what you all use. Trach ties with moleskin or the velcro ties. At our hospital they are big on teaching "real" ties, and feel it is important to know this way first. This is what we have been doing. As we prepare for home, our home nursing agency said that no one really uses ties anymore, but the velcro ties. The velcro is certainly easier, we have done it, maybe twice, but have mostly used regular ties with moleskin. Just wondering what you all do.

Thanks,
Karen

Shylent · #2 05-25-2008, 11:21 PM

I only use Velcro on Sebastian - I can not even fathom using anything else on him, he would have it off so fast.. lol.

TommysMommy · #3 05-26-2008, 12:19 AM

Velcro, but I use the adult dale ties with the elastic. I don't think I could ever get a good fit without elastic!

Mom_to_an_angel · #4 05-26-2008, 09:21 AM

we've always used velcro. Jordan would have the reg. ties off quick too.

Alex's mom · #5 05-26-2008, 10:02 AM

I don't know if I've ever seen "real" ties. We've always used Dale velcro ties.

Nate's Mom · #6 05-26-2008, 10:30 AM

We used velcro for the first year and have used a chain ever since. The velcro was easy, but had to be changed frequently due to moisture. The chains are only changed with a trach change.

Hope · #7 05-26-2008, 10:42 AM

Pepper Medical Ped. size ties - velcro.
Hope

LittleBee · #8 05-26-2008, 11:31 AM

We used to use Marpac Neonatal velcro and liked that, but we had to change every day. After joining this board I learned how to make necklaces with lobster claw clasps and now we use those. Luke's neck stays dry, gets more air, and we only have to change once a week when we change his trach. The chain can be used in the same way and I really like that too, but I can't find a place to get stainless steel chain around here.

Alethia · #9 05-26-2008, 07:19 PM

Hi there,

I see your wee one uses a ventilator - for this reason alone I would suggest using the velcro ties. We were shown how to use both the twill ties, and the velcro tapes at our hospital, but they recommend the velcro tapes/ties for kids on vents simply because they are wider, and softer, therefore safer and more comfortable for a child who has the weight of a ventilator circuit to support from their neck.

I tried using twill ties once on Angus when we ran out of tapes, but they cut into his neck after one night - never again, until he's off the vent! There is a similar drag factor with trach chains, which is a shame because I really like them.

One mum (Val - Matthew's mum) made special fabric ties which went round the back of her son's neck and then tied around the vent circuit, so he used chains to hold his trach tube in, but the fabric tie helped to spread the load of the vent circuit around his neck so the chains didn't cut in.

I made a beaded chain which split into 2 strands around the back of Angus' neck so it spread the load of the vent circuit. This worked really well, though it was fiddly to get done up. Unfortunately, he's not allowed to wear it when being looked after by the care team provided by the hospital because it hasnt' been tested and approved by a committee there, but we can use it when it's just us looking after him.

If you want to try the stainless steel beaded chain, a company called TransTracheal systems that sells them. You can also get stainless steel beaded chain from hardware shops. The trickier part is getting hold of the connectors.

faywrayy · #10 05-26-2008, 08:09 PM

We've used both. Our hospital put velcro on Kate when she was initially trached. She decannulated herself twice within the first week...so we went to twill. That's what dh and I both learned on, and we had absolutely no problems with them at all. When she was 9 months, we got some samples of the neoprene velcro ties. We tried a few times, and each time, she decannulated herself once she was attached to humidification tubing at night...too much drag and too much elastic in those ties. We stuck with twill. She never had issues with it cutting into her neck and there was no way she could have undid them herself. It's a shoelace size and we triple knotted them. No way her fingers could have manipulated them, especially without being able to see them...no way. At 14 mos, she had a bronch and came back with Dale PediDucks velcro and we haven't looked back. She did great with them (no elastic so no drag). We change them every other day, with no problems, no moisture issues, no skin breakdown.