Patients who need ventilation (assisted breathing with a respirator or breathing machine) require tracheostomy tubes that are blocked and sealed by what is called a cuff (also called a balloon) located on the lower outer cannula. The cuff blocks any air from flowing around the tube and assures that the patient is well oxygenated. All the air must therefore flow in and out through the tube itself. A pilot tube attached to the cuff stays outside the body and is used to inflate or deflate the cuff.
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