Sending children home on tracheostomy dependent ventilation: pitfalls and outcomes
- Correspondence to:
Dr C Wallis
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK; C.Wallisich.ucl.ac.uk
- Accepted 17 May 2003
Abstract
In spite of the consistency of the primary discharge coordinator in our practice and attempts to streamline the process, the obstacles to discharge highlighted five years ago remain frustratingly similar. The children in this survey spent an average of 9.6 months extra time in hospital awaiting discharge at considerable cost to the local commissioning teams, quite apart from the emotional cost to the child and stress for the whole family. We hope in future years this review will enable health practitioners and local health providers to anticipate the hurdles, address the problems early, and expedite the process of discharging home children who are dependent on long term ventilation via tracheostomy.
- BPD, bronchopulmonary dysplasia
- CCHVS, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome
- CLD, chronic lung disease
- DGH, district general hospital
- ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- GOSH, Great Ormond Street Hospital
- HOCM, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
- ICU, intensive care unit
- LTV, long term ventilation
- PCT, Primary Care Trust
- TCU, transitional care unit
