Ventilators blow air—or air with increased amounts of oxygen—into the airways and then the lungs. The airways are pipes that carry oxygen-rich air to your lungs and carbon dioxide, a waste gas, out of your lungs.
The airways include:
- Nose and linked air passages, called nasal cavities
- Mouth
- Larynx, or voice box
- Trachea, or windpipe
- Tubes called bronchial tubes or bronchi, and their branches
A ventilator blows air into your airways through a breathing tube. One end of the tube is inserted into your windpipe and the other end is attached to the ventilator. The process of placing the tube into your windpipe is called intubation.
Usually, the breathing tube is put into your windpipe through your nose or mouth. The tube is then moved down into your throat. A tube placed like this is called an endotracheal tube.
Endotracheal Tube Ventilators
An endotracheal tube is held in place by tape or with an endotracheal tube holder. This often is a strap that fits around the head. Sometimes the breathing tube is put into the windpipe through a hole in the front of the neck. A surgeon makes the hole using a procedure called tracheotomy. The tube put into the hole is sometimes called a "trach" tube.
Endotracheal tubes are mainly used for people who are on ventilators for shorter periods. The advantage of this tube is that it can be placed in an airway without surgery.
Trach tubes are used for people who need ventilators for longer periods. For people who are awake, this tube is more comfortable than the endotracheal tube. Under certain conditions, a person who has a trach tube may be able to talk.