What is the purpose of endotracheal intubation?

Breathing is an essential behavior of the human body. People can inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide to complete the breathing cycle. Breathing is done through the respiratory tract, and when people have some accidents, such as car accidents, the respiratory tract may be damaged, and the human body will be unable to breathe. In this case, people will resort to tracheal intubation. So what is the purpose of tracheal intubation?

Purpose:

Emergency endotracheal intubation technology has become an important measure in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the rescue of critically ill patients with respiratory dysfunction. Tracheal intubation is an important rescue technique commonly used in emergency work. It is one of the most widely used, effective and quickest means of respiratory management. It is a basic skill that medical personnel must master proficiently. It plays a vital role in saving patients' lives and reducing mortality rates. It can also promptly suck out secretions or foreign matter in the trachea, prevent foreign matter from entering the respiratory tract, keep the respiratory tract open, perform effective artificial or mechanical ventilation, and prevent the patient from hypoxia and carbon dioxide retention. Whether tracheal intubation is timely is directly related to the success of the rescue, whether the patient can be safely transferred, and the patient's prognosis.

Contraindications

Contraindications for endotracheal intubation:

①There are no absolute contraindications. However, if there is acute laryngeal inflammation, caution should be exercised because intubation can spread the inflammation;

② Patients with severe laryngeal edema should not undergo translaryngeal artificial airway surgery. Patients with severe coagulation dysfunction should wait until the coagulation function is corrected before undergoing translaryngeal artificial airway surgery.

③ For giant aneurysms, especially those located in the aortic arch, catheterization may cause aneurysm rupture, so it should be done with caution. If intubation is required, the operation should be gentle and skillful, and the patient should be quiet and avoid coughing and agitation.

④ If there are nasal polyps or nasopharyngeal hemangiomas, nasotracheal intubation is not recommended.

Precautions

①Be gentle to avoid damaging your teeth. Insert the catheter when the glottis is open to avoid the catheter and glottis from hitting each other, so as to protect the glottis and posterior mucosa and reduce the occurrence of laryngeal edema.

②Prevent teeth from falling out and being inhaled. Before the operation, the patient should be checked for dentures and loose teeth, and they should be removed or picked out to avoid damage during intubation or accidental dislocation or slipping into the airway, causing suffocation and endangering life.

③Prevent the airbag from slipping. If the balloon is fixed to the catheter, it generally will not slip off. However, if the catheter is separated from the balloon, an balloon that matches the catheter should be selected and tied to the catheter with silk thread to prevent it from slipping into the airway and causing serious consequences.

④Check the position of the catheter. Generally, bedside X-ray examination should be performed routinely after endotracheal intubation or mechanical ventilation to determine the position of the tube.

⑤Prevent intubation accidents. During endotracheal intubation, especially when the epiglottis is lifted, the patient's respiratory and cardiac arrest may occur due to the vagus nerve reflex, which is more likely to occur in patients who are in critical condition or have existing severe hypoxia and heart failure. Therefore, before intubation, the patient's family should be informed clearly to obtain their understanding and cooperation. During intubation, the patient should be given adequate oxygen and monitored, and emergency medicines and equipment should be available.