I think your question has been answered well already, but let me add a
comment that I haven't seen yet. If a vent-user is not in the bed and
can't make use of a humidifier, there are two things to keep in mind. 1).
They should have a little piece put into the circuit called an artificial
nose. All it does is prevent moisture from escaping along with the air as
it exhales through the circuit. 2). A Passy-Muir valve (or however you
spell it) will dry a person out throughout the day, and it also deems the
artificial nose useless (I take mine out when the Passy-Muir valve is being
used). This you may be aware of already, but I thought I'd add it anyway.
> I have another question (well..I have really hundreds of questions but i
> donīt want to overwhelm you). What do you think is the best way to get
> phonation with the trach? A cuffless tube? Speaking valve systems like
> Passy-Muir?
I have very good phonation, and here's what I use. A size 6 Shiley cuffed
with Passy-Muir when I'm up in my chair. I have a cuff for a couple
reasons. 1). The little extra bit that the deflated cuff adds to the
diameter of my trach helps block more air from escaping. 2). If I am not
sleeping well for whatever reason, I have the option of inflating the cuff
1-3 cc's. I do this occasionally and it usually helps. Since I started
using the Passy-Muir I can talk MUCH better. It's hard to get used to at
first, but now I can't live without it!
Derek Juntunen
djunt(AT)mtu.edu