Indications
In the acute situation indications for endotracheal intubation include:
- inability to maintain an airway
- serious facial injury disrupting normal anatomy
- vomit or blood in the upper airway which has not been cleared by suction - decreases likelihood of aspiration
- high risk of airway obstruction, i.e. in burns patients, respiratory arrests
Less acute situations that are indications include:
- for general anaesthesia when the patient needs to be paralysed, e.g. for abdominal surgery
- inability to ventilate the unconscious patient
- operations around the head and oropharynx
- patient has been unconscious for some while and it is important to maintain proper oxygenation
Related pages
Create an account to add page annotations
Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page