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 Endotracheal Intubation Main Article |  Glossary |  Endotracheal Intubation Index 

Endotracheal Intubation Glossary of Terms

The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the Endotracheal Intubation article.

Airway: The path air follows to get into and out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are the normal entry and exit ports. Entering air then passes through the back of the throat (pharynx), continues through the voice box (larynx), down the trachea, and finally out the branching tubes known as bronchi.
See the entire definition of Airway

Endotracheal tube: A flexible plastic tube that is put in the mouth and then down into the trachea (the airway). The doctor inserts the tube under direct vision with the help of a laryngoscope. The procedure is called endotracheal intubation . The purpose is to ventilate the lungs.
See the entire definition of Endotracheal tube

Intubation: The process of putting a tube into a hollow organ or passageway, often into the airway . The opposite of intubation is extubation.
See the entire definition of Intubation

Laryngoscope: A flexible, lighted tube used to look at the inside of the larynx (the voice box ). The laryngoscope is inserted through the mouth into the upper airway .


See the entire definition of Laryngoscope

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon dioxide from and bring oxygen to the blood. There is a right and left lung.

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and containing the teeth, gums, and tongue. Foodstuffs are broken down mechanically in the mouth by chewing and saliva is added as a lubricant. Saliva contains amylase, an enzyme that digests starch. 2. Any opening or aperture in the body. The mouth in both senses of the word is also called the os, the Latin word for an opening, or mouth. The o in os is pronounced as in hope. The genitive form of os is oris from which comes the word oral.

Respiration: 1. The act of inhaling and exhaling air in order to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. Synonymous with breathing and ventilation. 2. The cellular metabolic process by which oxygen is taken in, substances are oxidized, energy is released, and carbon dioxide and oxidized products are given off.

Tongue: The tongue is a strong muscle anchored to the floor of the mouth. It is covered by the lingual membrane which has special areas to detect tastes.
See the entire definition of Tongue

Trachea: A tube-like portion of the breathing or "respiratory" tract that connects the "voice box" (larynx) with the bronchial parts of the lungs.


See the entire definition of Trachea

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tubes, one on each side, which transport the egg from the ovary to the uterus (the womb). The Fallopian tubes have small hair-like projections called cilia on the cells of the lining.
See the entire definition of Tubes

Ventilator: A ventilator is a machine which mechanically assists patients in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide (sometimes referred to as artificial respiration).

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 Endotracheal Intubation Main Article |  Glossary |  Endotracheal Intubation Index 




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Endotracheal Intubation

What is ARDS?

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is breathing failure that can occur in critically ill persons with underlying illnesses. It is not a specific disease. Instead, it is a life-threatening condition that occurs when there is severe fluid buildup in both lungs. The fluid buildup prevents the lungs from working properly—that is, allowing the transfer of oxygen from air into the body and carbon dioxide out of the body into the air.

In ARDS, the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the lungs or the air sacs (alveoli (al-VEE-uhl-eye)) are damaged because of an infection, injury, blood loss, or inhalation injury. Fluid leaks from the blood vessels into air sacs of the lungs. While some air sacs fill with fluid, others collapse. When the air sacs collapse or fill up with fluid, the lungs can no longer fill properly with air and the lungs become stiff. Without air entering the lungs properly, the amount of oxygen in the bl...

Read the ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) article »



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