intubation

noun

in·​tu·​ba·​tion ˌin-(ˌ)tü-ˈbā-shən How to pronounce intubation (audio) -(ˌ)tyü- How to pronounce intubation (audio) -tə- How to pronounce intubation (audio)
plural intubations
: the introduction of a tube into a hollow organ or part (such as the trachea or stomach) especially to maintain an open passage or gain access to the interior
endotracheal/nasogastric intubation
… the neonate experienced respiratory distress that required intubation.Paul J. Benke

Examples of intubation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Approximately two hours after the bite his respiratory pathway began to swell requiring emergency intubation to help him breath. Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 More than half of the patients impacted suffered from central nervous system (CNS) depression and seizures after ingestion, with some requiring hospitalization and intubation, the state advisory said. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2024 This crystal ball aimed to forecast outcomes ranging from in-hospital mortality to intensive care unit admissions or intubations. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Sep. 2023 The study’s senior investigator, Dr. Angela Campbell, of the CDC’s Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division, noted that while infants younger than 3 months and infants born prematurely were more likely to need intubation, most of the intubated infants in the study were born at term. Theresa Tamkins, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2023 The pandemic only deepened the risks: every chest compression spewed contagious particles into the air, and intubation, which often follows compressions, exposed doctors to virus-laden saliva. Sunita Puri, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2023 Among the drugs made at the facility are anesthetics used to sedate patients during surgery and intubation, including propofol and etomidate, said Mittal Sutaria, senior vice president for pharmacy contract and program services for Vizient, a group dedicated to preventing drug shortages. Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 21 July 2023 The bags are also compatible with a variety of equipment, such as masks, valves, intubation equipment, filters, and oxygen supply. IEEE Spectrum, 29 May 2020 Many of those children ended up needing intubation and a ventilator to breathe for them. Jonathan Reisman, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intubation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

in- entry 2 + tube + -ation

Note: The term intubation was probably introduced in 1885, in the article "Treatment of Croup" by the Illinois physician Frank E. Waxham (The Chicago Medical Journal and Examiner, vol. 1, no. 6, June, 1885, p. 476). Waxham credits the use of tubes introduced into the trachea as an alternative to tracheotomy to the American physician Joseph O'Dwyer (1841-98). O'Dwyer published an initial report on the procedure as "Intubation of the Larynx," The New York Medical Journal, vol. 42, issue of August 8, 1885, pp. 145-47. O'Dwyer also uses tubage for the technique, after the French term used by the physician Eugène Bouchut, who published an earlier description ("D'une nouvelle méthode de traitement du croup par le tubage du larynx," Bulletin de l'Académie de Médecine, tome 23 [1858], pp. 1160-62).

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intubation was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near intubation

Cite this Entry

“Intubation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intubation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

intubation

noun
in·​tu·​ba·​tion ˌin-(ˌ)t(y)ü-ˈbā-shən How to pronounce intubation (audio) -tə- How to pronounce intubation (audio)
: the introduction of a tube into a hollow organ or part (such as the trachea or stomach) especially to maintain an open passage or gain access to the interior
endotracheal/nasogastric intubation
The patient's respiratory rate diminished, requiring intubation within 20 minutes after arrival to the emergency department.The Journal of the American Medical Association
That relieves me of the necessity of asking whether he has ever needed intubation—that extreme point where an asthmatic can no longer breathe for himself and needs a tube put down his airways so that a ventilator can do the work for him.Perri Klass, Discover
compare extubation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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