A tube inserted into the trachea to help a patient breathe.

• A. Bronchoscopy
• B. Intubation
• C. Tracheostomy
• D. Ventilation

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is securing the airway with an endotracheal tube to support breathing. When a tube is inserted through the mouth or nose into the trachea to ensure a clear airway and connect to a ventilator or oxygen source, that procedure is intubation. It’s the standard method for quickly airway management in surgery, emergencies, or intensive care to enable controlled breathing or mechanical ventilation.

Bronchoscopy, by contrast, is a procedure that uses a scope to look inside the airways, though it can involve instruments passed into the trachea; its primary purpose is visualization, not routine breathing support. A tracheostomy is a surgical opening directly in the trachea created for a long-term airway, usually when intubation isn’t feasible or for extended ventilation. Ventilation refers to the actual process of moving air into and out of the lungs, which can be done with various devices, but it isn’t the act of inserting a tube into the trachea.