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80th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

20.05. - 24.05.2009, Rostock

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The patient with a tracheostoma-psychosocial experience of stress

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German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 80th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Rostock, 20.-24.05.2009. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2009. Doc09hno038

doi: 10.3205/09hno038, urn:nbn:de:0183-09hno0386

Published: July 22, 2009

© 2009 Müller et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

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Introduction: In literature focus is mostly drawn to indication, procedure of surgery and complications of tracheotomy. Thus aim of the present investigation was the presentation of the psychosocial burden and medical care of patients with a tracheostoma.

Material and methods: 71 patients were surveyed by answering questionnaires about their tracheostoma, quality of life, anxiety and depression, disease processing.

Results: Patients with tracheostoma exhibited a decreased quality of life. The mental burden caused by the tracheostoma was rated as moderate. Half of the patients needed assistance taking care of the tracheostoma. 38 percent do not approve the tracheostoma. They show a higher level of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Patients, having a medical contact relate processed illness significantly more positively than patients missing such a contact.

Conclusions: Patients with tracheostoma should be provided with a fenestrated tracheostomy tube allowing speech, should be encouraged to self-care of the tracheostoma and have a contact to turn to. For best outpatient care of these patients efficient medical teamwork between patient, physician, psychologist, speech therapist, nurses as well as relatives is necessary.