Tran, Steven; Krige, Anton.

Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, November 2016, Vol. 34 Issue: Number 1 p270-271, 2p;
Abstract: The benefits of cardiopulmonary exercise testing have been
well established. Certain patient groups present challenges for
conducting such a test. We were presented with a patient with a
permanent tracheostomy at the preoperative assessment clinic. We
describe our technique in overcoming the problem of connecting him to
the testing machine, as this is normally done with the aid of a
tight-fitting face mask. We used a cuffed tracheostomy tube together
with some widely available tubing from theaters to connect the patient
to the gas analyzer. The test was only stopped because of excessive
secretions from the patient, and we had already established enough data
to tell us that the patient was fit enough to proceed to surgery. As
more patients present with tracheostomies, we feel that this case would
be a useful reference in managing and assessing such patients.