Most commonly, the process of passing an endotracheal tube (breathing tube) into the trachea (windpipe). Endotracheal intubation is carried out if mechanical ventilation is needed to deliver oxygen to the lungs. The tube is passed through the mouth or nose and down the throat. The term intubation is also used to refer to the placement of a gastric or intestinal tube in the stomach for purposes of suction or the giving of nutrients (see feeding, artificial).
Intubation |
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