The use of the Beck Airway Airflow Monitor for verifying intratracheal endotracheal tube placement in patients in the pediatric emergency department and intensive care unit

Traditional methods of confirming that the endotracheal tube is in the trachea are often unavailable or difficult to perform in some clinical situations, such as interfacility transport or other times outside the neonatal intensive care unit. We evaluated the Beck Airway Airflow Monitor (BAAM), through which airflow makes a whistling sound, for its safety and efficacy in neonates. We studied 46 neonates ranging in weight from 0.6 to 3.7 kg. We found that the BAAM consistently produced the desired whistling sound signaling intratracheal placement of the endotracheal tube in all infants weighing above 1.5 kg. No adverse effects or complications were noted. The results support the safety and efficacy of the BAAM in confirming intratracheal endotracheal tube position in neonates.