Cleaning Your Tracheostomy Tube Inner Cannula

A tracheostomy tube is placed in a sterile area of the airway via a surgical incision in the front of the neck.  It is essential to perform daily cleaning to keep the tube clean, to prevent cross-contamination and/or infection and to prevent blockage of the tube. The inner cannula, which is in almost all trach tubes, is removable and can be cleaned or changed daily.

Cleaning Trach tube with a Disposable Inner Cannula

• Using gloves, remove the inner cannula daily or several times per day and replace it with a new one. 
• Make sure the new inner cannula is “locked” in place by squeezing tabs or turning to lock in place 
• If by chance, you run out of disposable inner cannulas, you can follow the procedure below until your new supply arrives.

Cleaning Trach tube with a Permanent Inner Cannula

• This may need to be performed once or several times per day depending on patient needs 
• Prepare the area by getting out gloves and trach care kit (which contains all or most of the following: plastic tray, gloves, small brush, twill to be used as a trach tie) 
• Remove inner cannula and place in tray 
• Soak your inner cannula in peroxide for about 8 minutes 
• If a brush is provided in your kit, scrub your inner cannula inside and out with the brush and peroxide, if no brush is provided, just let cannula soak. 
• Once cannula is clean, rinse with sterile water, shake off excess and replace inner cannula into trach tube 
• Remember to “lock” your inner cannula back into place by lining up the “dots” or turning until you feel it click into place.

With either procedure above, try to avoid having your new or clean inner cannula come in contact with any surface. Always use gloves when handling or changing your inner cannula. Be gentle when removing or replacing inner cannula. Never force a cannula into the tube; if it will not go in easily, contact your doctor, home health care nurse or clinician as soon as possible.