This past week, I learned about endotracheal intubation after Mama Pham was admitted to the ER for difficulty breathing due to a swollen trachea (aka windpipe). This is a procedure where a tube is place in the trachea to open the airway to the lungs and assist breathing. Since it was an emergency situation, they placed it through her mouth. To test if the swelling has been reduced, they deflate a part of the tube that is like a little balloon to see if they can hear any air leaks coming up from the lungs. If there are no air leaks, then it means the trachea is still too swollen.
