Skip to main content

Here's What You Need to Know about Endotracheal Intubation

Endotracheal intubation is a medical procedure for inserting a breathing apparatus in the form of a tube into the throat (trachea) through the mouth or nose. Intubation aims to keep the patient breathing during an anesthetic procedure (anesthesia), during surgery, or in patients with severe conditions who can experience difficulty in breathing. Endotracheal intubation is generally performed on patients who are unconscious, comatose, or unable to breathe on their own. Intubation can help to keep the patient's respiratory tract open and prevent the patient from experiencing oxygen deficiency due to respiratory failure.

Intubation Procedure

The intubation procedure is an artificial breathing technique that is very important to save lives. When the intubation procedure will be performed the doctor will give medicines, such as general anesthesia and muscle relaxants, to facilitate intubation. The patient is then laid down, then the doctor will open the patient's mouth and insert a device called a laryngoscope to open the airway and see the vocal cords. After the vocal cords are visible and open, the doctor will insert a flexible plastic tube called an endotracheal tube, from the mouth into the windpipe. The size of the tube is adjusted to the age and size of the patient's throat. In the process of intubation, if there is difficulty inserting a tube through the mouth, the doctor will insert a breathing apparatus in the form of a special tube through the nose into the respiratory tract. Next, the endotracheal tube will be connected to a temporary breathing pump bag or to a ventilator, which will push oxygen into the patient's lungs. After the intubation procedure is performed, the doctor will evaluate whether the breathing tube has been installed properly, by observing the movement of the breath and listening for breath sounds in both lungs using a stethoscope. If needed, the doctor can do an X-ray examination to make sure the endotracheal tube is installed correctly.

Purpose of the Endotracheal Intubation Procedure

There are various purposes for intubation, namely:
  • Removes obstacles in the respiratory tract.
  • Open the respiratory tract so the doctor can channel oxygen, or drugs, into the patient's body.
  • Help breathing in patients with diseases or conditions that can threaten breathing, such as epilepticus status, asmatikus status (emergencies in asthma that do not improve with treatment), anaphylaxis, severe pneumonia, COPD, pulmonary swelling, severe injury to the face and neck, pulmonary embolism, failure heart disease, severe head injury, or in shock patients.
  • Make it easy for doctors to see the upper respiratory tract.
  • Prevents the entry of food, stomach acid, saliva, and other foreign objects into the lungs, when the patient is unconscious.
  • Providing respiratory support to patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia (anesthesia).
However, in some cases, endotracheal intubation is not possible. Conditions that make a person unable to be intubated, include not being able to open his mouth, severe neck injury, total airway obstruction, intubation failed after repeated attempts, and airway deformity.

Possible Risks to Endotracheal Intubation Procedures

Although it is one of the most important actions to take to provide breathing assistance to patients, endotracheal intubation also has risks, namely:
  • Bleeding and injury to the windpipe, mouth, tongue, teeth and vocal cords.
  • The breathing tube does not enter the throat, but the esophagus. As a result, respiratory assistance provided cannot reach the lungs.
  • The gathering of fluids in tissues and organs.
  • Aspiration pneumonia.
  • Sore throat.
  • The voice became hoarse.
  • Erosion or erosion of soft tissue in the airways due to prolonged intubation.
  • The patient is dependent on the ventilator, so the patient cannot breathe normally and need a tracheostomy.
  • A tear in the chest cavity that causes the lungs are not functioning.
  • An allergic reaction to the anesthetic used.

Things to Look For After Endotracheal Intubation

After undergoing the endotracheal intubation procedure, the patient will experience a sore throat and difficulty in swallowing, but will recover soon after the endotracheal tube is removed. If you experience any of the following symptoms after endotracheal intubation, contact your doctor immediately:
  • Swollen face.
  • Chest pain.
  • Difficulty speaking.
  • Trouble swallowing.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Severe sore throat.
Endotracheal intubation is a procedure that is intended to keep the patient's respiratory tract open, as well as to help provide breathing assistance. If you feel anxious before undergoing an endotracheal intubation procedure, consult a surgeon or anesthetist to get an explanation of the benefits and risks that might occur.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Little often sneeze in the morning, this is probably the cause

Sneezing repeatedly in the morning, often disturbing the comfort of your child. Come on, know the most common causes of these conditions and how to help your child prevent it. Frequent sneezing in the morning can be a sign that your child has allergic rhinitis. Besides sneezing in the morning, allergic rhinitis can also be accompanied by nasal congestion, runny nose and itchy eyes. These complaints will occur repeatedly, especially when exposed by the trigger. Recognize the Causes of Little Sneezing in the Morning Allergic rhinitis generally begins in childhood. This condition is caused by the body's immune system being too sensitive to allergens that stick to the lining of the nose. Allergens are substances whose ingredients can trigger allergic reactions. Your child may be exposed to allergens throughout the night while he sleeps, but new symptoms of allergies appear when he wakes up. In addition, pollen is also more airborne in the morning. This is what makes people with

This is the reason Incubators are needed for premature babies

A mother would want her baby's birth to run smoothly and not far from the estimated birth day (HPL). However, there are certain conditions that can cause the baby to be born prematurely, and need to enter the baby's incubator for some time. Premature babies are babies born at the age of the womb less than 37 weeks. At that age, some of their organs have not yet fully developed. In order to survive outside the womb and adapt to the new environment, they will be placed in an incubator. Various Benefits of Incubator for Premature Babies Incubator is a box-shaped device and made of transparent plastic. This tool allows the baby to avoid bacterial infections and noise, and keep his body warm. Below are a few reasons why premature babies need an incubator: Maintain baby's body temperature Premature babies do not have enough fat tissue to regulate their body temperature properly. That is why they need to be immediately put into a warm baby incubator, to avoid the cold