Intubation, sometimes entubation, is the insertion of a tube into an external or internal orifice of the body for the purpose of adding or removing fluids or air.

It is sometimes considered synonymous with tracheal intubation, but it can also involve the gastrointestinal tract, as with balloon tamponade with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube.

Intubation into the trachea may be performed through the mouth (orotracheal intubation) or through the nose (nasotracheal intubation).

Successful tracheal intubation depends on three requirements:

The highest priority in an emergency is to enable a patient to breathe by securing their airway (passage from the nose and mouth into the lungs). Endotracheal intubation is one of various ways to secure the airway. A Cochrane review, examines whether emergency endotracheal intubation, as opposed to other airway management techniques, improves the outcome and no difference was found between endotracheal intubation and other airway securing strategies for reducing deaths after acute illness or injury.