Respiratory care
-
Review
The Use of Speaking Valves in Children With Tracheostomy Tubes: What is the Scope of the Literature?
One-way speaking valves have been successfully used to restore audible meaningful speech in adult patients after tracheostomy tube placement. One-way speaking valves have also been used in pediatric patients after tracheostomy tube placement with promising results. We conducted a scoping review to synthesize and summarize the current evidence on the use of one-way tracheostomy tube speaking valves in the pediatric population to identify knowledge gaps that could inform future research programs and facilitate evidence-based clinical decision making. ⋯ Eligibility criteria for trials of speaking valves were inconsistent across all studies and included a combination of clinical assessment coupled with published indications. Much of the literature has focused on tolerance/successful use of speaking valves in children with a tracheostomy with limited evidence on its impact on verbal communication. Current evidence on the use of speaking valves in children with a tracheostomy, its indication, and its impact on verbal communication is inadequate, mandating further research in this area.