intubate

verb

in·​tu·​bate ˈin-(ˌ)tü-ˌbāt  -(ˌ)tyü-  -tə- 

intubated; intubating; intubates

transitive + intransitive

: to perform intubation on : to subject to intubation

The anesthesiologist resuscitates and intubates—if necessary—newborns in distress.

—Joseph J. Neuschatz

… female presented to the ED [emergency department] in a coma 90 minutes after ingesting approximately 8 g of nortriptyline. She was intubated, lavaged, and received activated charcoal.

—R. Rasmussen and P. E. McKinney

The trachea was intubated … and 100% oxygen was administered …

—Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh et al.

No one, amid the rush to intubate, had thought to prick the patient's finger and check his blood glucose level …

—Tony Dajer

Examples of intubate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both mother and child were separately transported by ambulance to Ocean Springs Hospital, where doctors intubated both mother and daughter, the chief says, adding that daughter was then flown out by helicopter to USA Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Alabama for further treatment and survived. —Emily Palmer, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024

She was intubated and underwent several operations. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 30 Oct. 2024

The infant was born via emergency cesarean section at 24 weeks gestation and she was immediately intubated and admitted to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). —Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024

Immediately following her birth, she was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and intubated. —Julia Reinstein, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from intubation

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

intubate

verb

in·​tu·​bate ˈin-(ˌ)t(y)ü-ˌbāt  -tə- 

intubated; intubating; intubates

transitive + intransitive

: to perform intubation on : to subject to intubation

These patients should be intubated regardless of the blood gas results. ABG measurements, however, can assist in the decision to intubate less severely stressed patients.

—James W. Holcroft et al., Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery, 13th edition

I'm very nervous, because I haven't intubated many children and I'm not sure how big she is or what size endotracheal tube I'll need.

—Valerie Norton, in Emergency!

No one, amid the rush to intubate, had thought to prick the patient's finger and check his blood glucose level …

—Tony Dajer, Discover

Twenty consecutive pediatric patients … whose tracheas had been intubated for various causes of respiratory failure, and who had received a CT scan, were included in our study.

—Kevin R. Bock et al., Chest