DOI : 10.56496 / FABP3978

Paula Bagshaw-Wright , CertVN ECC , Dip AVN , NCert ( A & CC ), RVN

Woodcroft Referrals , Stockport

ENVELOPE paula . bagshaw-wright @ woodcroftvets . com

Paula started as a trainee in veterinary nursing in 2002 . She qualified in 2008 and went on to achieve a nursing certificate in anaesthesia and critical care in 2012 . In 2016 , she completed a diploma in advanced veterinary nursing and , in 2017 , obtained an additional Vets Now nursing certificate in emergency and critical care . Paula ' s main areas of interest are anaesthesia ( especially in critical and complex cases ), analgesia and pain management , and orthopaedics . She is a senior nurse at Woodcroft Referrals , working mainly on the orthopaedic team and helping on other referral disciplines .

ABSTRACT Endotracheal intubation is a procedure performed commonly in most veterinary practices , often multiple times a day . The reason for intubating a patient ’ s trachea is to secure the airway as part of a general anaesthetic protocol ( to deliver oxygen and volatile anaesthetic agents ) or as a lifesaving procedure , such as during cardiopulmonary resuscitation . This article will describe the technique for endotracheal intubation and the care and maintenance of endotracheal tubes .

Keywords endotracheal tube , intubation , tube care

Introduction

In the veterinary practice there are many situations where patients will need to have their tracheas intubated using an endotracheal tube ( ETT ). Commonly , ETTs are used to maintain an airway in our anaesthetised patients .

It can take some practice to master holding the ETT , laryngoscope and slippery tongue , but it is a skill at which veterinary nurses ( VNs ) should be competent .

It is also important for VNs to know how to properly clean and maintain the ETTs to ensure they are always safe and ready to use .

52 Veterinary Nursing Journal