Emergency Tracheostomy Kit Treats Patients with Large Necks

A new range of percutaneous tracheostomy tubes and kits has been specially designed for emergency use in patients with large, short, or muscular necks.

The Portex UniPerc percutaneous tracheostomy kit is particularly suitable for patients with large, muscular, short, obese, or bull neck necks with up to 50 mm pretracheal depth. Distinctive 10 millimeter markings on the cannula, predilator, and the single stage dilator enable emergency medical services (EMS) personnel to measure the pretracheal depth accurately and place all components safely, using the same measurement to preset the UniPerc adjustable tracheostomy flange to the correct distance. The single stage dilator's unique midline opening helps stabilize the guiding catheter and guide wire, and a dedicated inner cannula has sizing based on the inside diameter, as measured with the inner cannula in place.


The tracheostomy kit contains a scalpel with a number 15 blade, curved forceps for the blunt dissection of pretracheal tissues, a 10-mL syringe for aspiration, an extra long graduated predilator, long guide wire, and an extra long guiding catheter. The kit also includes a hydrophilic graduated single stage dilator, a cuffed adjustable flange tracheostomy tube, the tracheostomy tube introducer, and a flexible inner cannula. Other items in the kit are swabs, a tracheostomy tube holder, sterile lubricating jelly, a needle protection device for the introducer needle, and a tracheostomy tube-disconnection wedge.

The UniPerc Percutaneous Dilation Tracheostomy Kit is a product of Smiths Medical (St. Paul, MN, USA), and is supplied with a Soft Seal cuff, available in 7 mm, 8 mm, and 9 mm sizes. Replacement adjustable flange tubes are available for tube changes in both cuffed and uncuffed variants.

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Smiths Medical