The terms intubation and intubated patient, which are frequently heard with the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the whole world, are concepts used in relation to patients who are connected to a ventilator. Intubation may be necessary in many diseases that cause coronavirus or a different infectious disease affecting the respiratory tract, lung diseases and respiratory failure in general.
What is intubation?
In patients who cannot breathe on their own or have respiratory failure, the continuity of respiration can be ensured with the help of a device called a ventilator (intubation device). At the same time, suffocation can be prevented by keeping the airway open and respiratory function can be performed in unconscious patients.
In Covid-19 infection, especially in patients with high lung involvement and shortness of breath, the patient may need to be intubated with low blood oxygen levels. Intubated patient stays in intensive care units as long as they are connected to the ventilation device. Depending on the patient's health status, he may need to stay in the intensive care unit for a while after intubation is over. Although there are types such as nasogastric intubation and fiberoptic intubation, the commonly used intubation concept is endotracheal intubation for mechanical respiration. On the other hand, intubation is a practice not only for Covid-19, but also for various conditions such as pneumonia, COPD, respiratory failure.
Respiration continues continuously to meet the oxygen needed by the cells in the body and to maintain life. In addition to the above-mentioned situations in which the patient cannot breathe on his own, the patient is intubated in order to continue breathing in surgeries performed under anesthesia or injuries that affect breathing.
Intubation is performed by placing a flexible plastic tube in a patient's throat. These tubes are also known by different names such as intubation device or intubation device among the public. The tube extends through the mouth or nose to the windpipe, which is called the trachea in medicine. commemorates. A device called a laryngoscope is used to see sensitive tissues that may be damaged, such as vocal cords, while the tube is placed. In this way, the respiratory tract can be seen clearly during the procedure. The tube is then typically connected to a ventilation device and the patient is intubated. Intubation is terminated and the tube is removed when the person is well enough to have difficulty breathing.
This application is a routine procedure performed in all operating rooms and emergency services worldwide where anesthesia is used. The conditions under which intubation is performed significantly affect the risk ratio. There may be a risk of complications due to the inability to provide the required sensitivity and the unstable condition of the patient in intubations performed quickly in the emergency room conditions. Possible complications include:
- Damage of the vocal cords
- Bleeding and development of infection
- Wound formation in the throat or trachea
- Damage of teeth and gums
- Edema and fluid accumulation
- Tissue rupture in the chest cavity
What is the Difference Between Intubated and Intensive Care?
Covid-19 Since the beginning of the pandemic, data such as the number of new positive cases, the number of severe cases, the number of intensive care and intubated patients have been shared daily. However, concepts such as intubated patient and intensive care patient, which are not normally known to many people except health personnel, have started to be used frequently in daily life. The difference between intubated and intensive care, which is often confused with each other, is not known exactly, especially in the case of coronavirus.
Intubated, that is, patients connected to a ventilation device, also known as an intubated device among the people, are usually followed under intensive care conditions. However, not every intensive care patient is intubated. Intubation is not required in patients who can adequately perform their respiratory function on their own. However, despite not being intubated, the patient He can be followed in the intensive care unit due to any risk situation related to the disease.
The type of hospitalization of intubated patients can be determined by the physicians according to the patient's condition and can be changed from time to time. Some patients are placed face down during intubation. In some patients, the classic supine position may be preferred.
How Many Days Does It Take to Intubat?
In Covid-19 and many other diseases that affect respiration, if the disease is severe, the person may take a certain period of time. He may need to receive mechanical ventilation via intubation. In general, in infectious diseases, intubation is applied when drug treatments and other treatment options are tried and still no results.
Therefore, intubating the patient in Covid-19 patients is a procedure applied in cases where many treatment methods such as antiviral drugs, anticoagulant (blood thinners) drugs, supplemental oxygen therapy have not given sufficient results. How many days intubation will take depends entirely on the patient's condition. In some patients intubation is only necessary for a few days, while in some severe patients it may be necessary to continue intubation for weeks. The longer the patient stays intubated, the higher the likelihood of complications.
In patients who are intubated for a long time, risks such as narrowing of the airways and dependence of the lungs on respiratory support develop. For this reason, it may be necessary to apply different methods such as tracheostomy in patients who do not heal within a few weeks. In tracheostomy, it becomes possible to perform breathing with the help of a path that opens directly to the trachea.
It is thought that infections that may develop due to reasons such as saliva aspiration can be significantly reduced in patients who are intubated for a long time. Although this situation does not significantly affect the length of stay of the patient in the intensive care unit, it is very effective in reducing the risk of complications.
Does the Intubated Patient Get Better?
Considering the scientific statistics, approximately a quarter of the intubated Covid-19 patients Three of them seem to have survived. Therefore, it can be said that the probability of survival for the intubated patient is still high. intubate The reason for the increase in the mortality rate for the intubated patient compared to the non-intubated patients is that the patient who is connected to the ventilator is seriously ill. The patient's follow-up and treatment process is very important during intubation. Intensive care is the most suitable environment for the follow-up of intubated patients. After discontinuation of ventilation support in patients who begin to recover, the patient usually needs to receive oxygen support for a while.
The most important factor in increasing the probability of survival of the patient is the improvement of the other complications caused by the virus or the disease agent in patients who come to the intubation point. The longer the patient is connected to the ventilation device, the higher the mortality rate and the possibility of serious complications. However, in patients whose disease is treated and intubation is terminated at the appropriate time, it is usually possible to completely reverse intubation-related complications. Patients need to receive oxygen support for a while, even after they are disconnected from the device and even after they are discharged. During this process, the probability of permanent damage in patients who are sensitive to the recommendations given by their physicians is considerably reduced. After awakening the intubated patient, some side effects may occur due to both intubation and anesthesia. Side effects such as nausea and vomiting are often seen due to anesthesia. Sore throat and sores in the mouth and throat are common conditions after intubation. Intubation may be necessary in various situations in infants as well as adults.
Intubation may be required right after birth, especially in babies born prematurely due to preterm birth. In addition, intubation may be necessary in infants due to various health problems. Intubated baby care is usually performed by specialist physicians, nurses and other health personnel in hospital conditions. After the end of intubation, it may be necessary to apply different and longer processes than adults in terms of the health of the respiratory tract. Since the situation will be unique, the process and applications may differ from patient to patient. For this reason, it is beneficial for the relatives of intubated patients to act only in accordance with the recommendations of their physicians. Intubation may be necessary if the disease progresses severely and shortness of breath develops in Covid-19 patients followed at home. Therefore, Covid-19 patients who develop shortness of breath should immediately apply to the emergency services of health institutions. You can use the contact form on our website to reach us.
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