Answer:
Option C, trachea
Explanation:
The "ET" in the medical term ET tube stands for endotracheal, thus signifying that this device will be located in the patient's trachea, which is also known as the windpipe, option C.
An endotracheal tube is a plastic tube that is pushed down a patient's throat and into their trachea for the purpose of maintaining the patency (openness) of their airway, allowing for the patient to breathe when some condition or issue has altered their normal respiratory functioning. The tube itself is usually only a few millimeters in diameter but many inches in length because it must be able to reach into the trachea while also remaining palpable from outside of the oral cavity.
Why Not Other Choices:
A tube located in the stomach by way of the nose is called an nasogastric (NG) tube. If the tube is going straight from the outside environment, through the abdominal wall, and into the stomach, this is a gastric tube, or G-tube.
There are some tubes that may end in the esophagus right before the opening of the stomach, such as the esophageal T-tube. If the ET tube is in the esophagus, it is incorrectly placed and any air delivered can be pushed into the stomach, which can forced stomach content up and possibly into the lungs -- this is an aspiration risk.
Like the NG tube, a tube located in the intestines by way of the nose is called a nasojejunal (NJ) tube, named after the jejunum, the middle segment of small intestines. The tube may also penetrate the abdominal wall and be placed directly into the jejunum, known as a J-tube.
