passy muir valve must be used with uncuffed trachs or with cuff deflated

Passy muir valve is a valve that attaches to tracheostomy tube. It’s a one way valve that allows air to go in during inhalation but prevents exhalation.

Importantly, the patient must have uncuffed trach or with cuff deflated on cuffed trach to allow patient to exhale.1 This includes inline passy muir valves for patient who still needs positive pressure ventilatory support.

Footnotes

  1. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/airway-management-for-anesthesia-for-the-patient-with-a-tracheostomy ↩