Assessment of Health-care Professionals' Knowledge of Managing Emergency Complications in Critically Ill Patients with a Tracheostomy. The Board of Management and Trustees of the British

Background. Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons perform the majority of surgical tracheos-tomies. Intensive care anaesthetists are increasingly performing bedside percutaneous tra-cheostomy. The objectives of this study were to characterize emergency complications of tracheostomy and to ascertain healthcare professionals ’ knowledge of life-saving strategies for the patient with a tracheostomy. Methods. Seventy staff members in two large teaching hospitals completed an interview ques-tionnaire, comprising a simple clinical scenario and unambiguous questions regarding the emer-gency management of patients with a tracheostomy. Results. There were significant gaps in knowledge among healthcare professionals regarding the management of specific tracheostomy-related emergencies. Conclusions. Knowledge of tracheostomy-related emergencies appears to be insufficient among non-ENT healthcare professionals. This needs to be addressed in order to maximize patient safety