Without proper monitoring, patients with artificial airways in the trachea are at high risk for complications or death. Despite routine maintenance of the tube, dislodged or copious mucus can obstruct the airway. Young children (≤ 3yrs) have difficulty tending to their own tubes and are particularly vulnerable to blockages. They require external respiratory sensors. In a hospital environment, ventilators, end-tidal CO_2 monitors, thermistors, and other auxiliary equipment provide sufficient monitoring of respiration. However, outpatient monitoring methods, such as thoracic impedance and pulse oximetry, are indirect measurements of respiration and prone to false positives due to motion artifact. Caregivers can become desensitized to repeated false alarms. [1]
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