When is it too soon to see trach patients? In the OR. After that, they’re fair game. Kelsey Day explains how the PT ICU model of early mobility is a path we can follow as SLPs to get in early to work with vent-dependent patients to stop (and hopefully reverse) disuse atrophy.

Kelsey took us on a deep dive into vent settings & terminology (don’t worry, we took notes for you), to help you have a clearer idea of how sick or stable your vent-dependent ICU patients are on any given day. She also outlines how to plan for and complete swallow assessments in this population.

This is a two-part episode, so keep an eye out for the second half of our interview with Kelsey where she guides us through treatment choices for trach & vent-dependent ICU patients.

Show notes can be downloaded below.  Get the transcript here!

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