Novel Tracheal Dressing

The Novel Tracheal Dressing (NTD) has been designed to address issues surrounding dressings used for patients who have undergone a tracheostomy procedure.

A tracheostomy is an opening in the neck leading directly into the trachea. It is maintained open with a hollow plastic tube connecting the external environment with the windpipe and lungs. The trachea comprises a plurality of cartilaginous rings.

As a result of the structure of the trachea, removal of the cannula from the trachea leaves an opening. Typically, it takes two weeks to heal, and during this time, all expectoration by the patient passes out through this opening. Unfortunately, due to the lack of dressing suitable for patients and relatives to use in the community, nearly all patients stay in the hospital until the hole is closed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tracheostomies and the need to prevent aerosol spread is increasing.

The hole left post-tracheostomy and how to dress it is a worldwide unsolved problem. Due to the lack of a simple, easy-to-store, easy-to-apply, easy-to-remove and disposable dressing, patients endure frequent dressings and interruptions, meaning they cannot be sent home in a timely manner.

At present, there is no dressing adopted for routine use anywhere. As a consequence of this, nurses are making bespoke dressings from scratch. These dressings are time-consuming and frequently changed, making care flow complex, expensive, and uncomfortable for patients. However, our GB patented innovation, manufactured in the UK, has proved its value through an early feasibility study in the NHS.

Benefits of the NTD are numerous, to mention some: 1\. Easy to store, apply and remove 2\. Significant reduction in the Environmental impact

3\. Reduction of the nursing time required over that needed for hand-made bespoke dressings, allowing more time for care.

4\. Empowering patients and relatives to use NTD dressing in the community environment and Enabling care teams to discharge patients with open tracheostomy holes. 5\. Reduction of bed blockade by early discharge, supporting waiting list reduction 7\. Reducing daily visits by district nurses.

Our Innovate Project will define how to scale, produce, and implement NTD in a complex, competitive, cost-defined NHS environment. This Grant will enable us to bring a UK innovation to the local communities and to the Global market.