What does an artificial airway include?

Feb 27, 2023 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Guo Xiheng
Introduction
Artificial airways include endotracheal intubation and tracheostomy. During endotracheal intubation, a laryngoscope is inserted along the posterior surface of the tongue into the airway, with or without anesthesia. Once the glottis is visualized and open, an endotracheal tube is advanced into the trachea to complete the intubation. In establishing an artificial airway via tracheostomy, specialized medical instruments or sterilized sharp tools are used to make an incision through the trachea along the midline of the neck to achieve ventilation.

Artificial airways generally include endotracheal intubation and tracheostomy.

1. Endotracheal Intubation

Endotracheal intubation is usually performed with or without anesthesia, with the patient maintained in a supine position. The oral cavity, pharynx, and trachea are aligned along the same longitudinal axis. A laryngoscope is then inserted along the dorsal surface of the tongue into the airway. Once the vocal cords are visualized and open, an endotracheal tube is inserted into the trachea to complete the intubation procedure.

2. Tracheostomy

When establishing an artificial airway via tracheostomy, the decision to use anesthesia depends on the urgency of the situation and available medical resources. Typically, using specialized medical instruments or sterilized sharp tools, an incision is made through the midline of the neck into the trachea to achieve ventilation.


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