[Dysphagia] fluid in pilot balloon of cuff

[slpwebmail at yahoo.com (h egnor)]

I have a gentleman in homecare who had a recent downsize to a fenestrated, cuffed trach. I do not have information about what kind of trach he had before. He has laryngeal cancer and will have a total laryngectomy in one week. Today, he showed me yellow-green opaque fluid sitting in the pilot balloon of the cuff. He claims he does not know how it got there, but that it has been there for about one week. He says no one injected any type of fluid or aid in there that he remembers. He was also unable to tell me what the pilot balloon was for ( no other history of memory problems noted). 
   
  To my understanding, a cuff and pilot balloon are a closed system, and the only way in is through the port at the bottom with a syringe, unless there is some kind of leak in the system. 
   
  I called the ENT, and the ENT told me not to worry about it, that the patient would have a laryngectomy in a week. i asked what about a possible tear in the cuff, damage to the trach tissue, infection - the doctor said not to worry about it. 
   
  i GENTLY squeezed on the balloon to see if the fluid would displace and/or the balloon would regain its shape. The fluid DID displace, but the balloon did not regain its shape. No distress or sensation were noted by the patient. 
   
  What possible innocuous explanation can there be for this?
   
  Heather 

		
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