The present invention relates, in general, to prevention of false, annoying, or oversensitive alarms, providing early detection by a sensitive test, generating silent, semi-overt, or overt alarm conditions and/or initiating early passive or active interventions to untoward events. The invention buys time by providing an early intervention in the event that a highly sensitive early detection is later confirmed by a specific test. A particular embodiment of the invention is directed to the early detection of hypoventilation, including apnea and airway obstruction, and the pausing or interrupting of an action such as drug delivery during medical procedures.