Shiley Speaking Valves: Enhancing Communication and Quality of Life

• Shiley Speaking Valves are innovative medical devices designed to empower tracheostomy patients by restoring their ability to speak and communicate effectively.
• These valves offer a groundbreaking solution to one of the most significant challenges faced by tracheostomy patients – the loss of voice.
• With Shiley Speaking Valves, patients can reclaim their voice, enabling them to express themselves and engage in meaningful conversations, ultimately improving their overall quality of life

Features:

• Latex-free
• Available with or without a supplemental oxygen port and cap
• Air flow through oral and nasal chambers decreases secretions, increases ability to smell and swallow1
• Decreases hygiene and infection concerns, compared to finger occlusions
• Lightweight materials and construction may help reduce additional pressure on stoma site
• Connector adapts to most tracheostomy tubes including paediatric sizes
• Hinged cap for easy cleaning
• Available sterile

Benefits:

• Allows natural voicing, continuous vocalization, longer speech, greater vocal volume and normal speech patterns.
• For patients either on or off ventilators under a doctor’s prescription and the participation of the respiratory therapist.
• Reduces the secretions and helps to control them and requires less suctioning
• Helps with cough and oral expectation.
• Helps swallow by increasing the pressures required to push the food bolus down pharynx into the esophagus.
• Improves sense of smell and taste, thereby increasing appetite and aiding in consuming more nutrients
• Reduces the risk of infection in patients by removing the requirement for digital Occlusion
• Facilitates decannulation by:
  • Capping or stop the tube of tracheostomy
  • Confidence building for patients and decreasing anxiety
  • Accelerating the decannulation process.

How to use the Speaking Valve:

• Assist the tracheostomy tube in sucking it according to the need prior to setting the valve. It might not be possible to utilize the valve when the patient has lots of secretions or has very thick ones.
• If the tube for tracheostomy has an inflated cuff, you must deflate the cuff (remove the air out of it) prior to placing the valve. The nose and mouth of the patient when needed prior to inflating the cuff, so that secretions do not leak to the trachea (windpipe) and the bronchi.
• Connect the valve to the top of the tube by twisting it to the left (clockwise) about 1/4 turn. This will stop it from falling off when coughing.
• To take the valve off you must twist it toward on the left (counter clockwise).

FAQ’S:

1.What are the common speaking valves?

Ans- Examples of open position valves include Shikani Speaking Valves, Shiley Phonate, Tracoe Phon Assist, and Montgomery Speaking Valve.

2.When can you use a speaking valve?

Ans- Speaking valves allow patients with tracheostomy the opportunity to produce speech naturally. Exhaled air is redirected around the tracheostomy tube and deflated cuff (if present), through the vocal folds and upper airway.

3.Where does the speaking valve fix?

Ans-  an attachment that sits at the end of the tracheostomy tube and is designed to temporarily close every time you breathe out.

4.Can you sleep with a speaking valve on?

Ans-  Study reveals that use of a tracheostomy-speaking valve during sleep, was not associated with adverse cardiopulmonary events.