PEDIATRIC ENDOTRACHEAL APPARATUS

摘要

Apparatus for cooperating with an endotracheal tube (10) or face mask when used on a pediatric or neonate patient, to limit excessive rebreathing of expired air and to assure the safe placement of the tube (10), the apparatus including a colorimetric carbon dioxide indicator (20) for sensing that the tube (10) has been placed in the trachea rather than the esophagus. The apparatus further includes a housing (21) for the indicator (20) which housing (21) includes a port (25), a ventilation port (22) and an internal space where the indicator (20) is mounted. The volume of the housing internal space is selected to limit the deadspace volume of the device to less than 10 cubic centimeters to thus avoid excessive rebreathing of expired air by the patient, while at the same time avoiding an undesirably high airflow resistance in the system.