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

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection of one or both lungs which is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, one-third of all people who developed pneumonia subsequently died from the infection. Currently, over 3 million people develop pneumonia each year in the United States. Over a half a million of these people are admitted to a hospital for treatment. Although most of these people recover, approximately 5% will die from pneumonia. Pneumonia is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

How do people "catch pneumonia"?

Some cases of pneumonia are contracted by breathing in small droplets that contain the organisms that can cause pneumonia. These droplets get into the air when a person infected with these germs coughs or sneezes. In other cases, pneumonia is caused when bacteria or viruses that are normally present in the mouth, throat, or nose inadvertently enter the...

Read the Pneumonia article »




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