Category
Airway Management
Typical Use
Secure airway and provide mechanical ventilation.
Description
A flexible, cuffed tube inserted through the mouth or nose into the trachea to maintain a patent airway, protect against aspiration, and enable positive pressure ventilation via a ventilator or manual bagging. Endotracheal tubes come in various sizes and designs for adult and pediatric patients and require confirmation of placement by auscultation, chest rise, capnography, and radiography when indicated. Proper cuff inflation, secure fixation, and ongoing monitoring reduce the risk of tube displacement, pressure injury to the trachea, and ventilator associated complications. Endotracheal intubation is a definitive airway technique used in respiratory failure, general anesthesia, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.