Tracheotomy is a technique known since antiquity for the management of rare cases of acute obstructive asphyxia. It was developed for the management of diphteritic laryngitis (croup) during the 19th century. It is used now for artificial ventilation in some cases of resuscitation and for long term ventilation in the intensive care unit.
Endotracheal intubation had been used in neonatal resuscitation since the beginning of the 19th century by Desault, Chaussier, Depaul and Ribemont.
Placing a tube in the glottis was introduced by Bouchut during a diptheria epidemic in 1858 but was challenged by his peers. O’Dwyer revived the procedure in 1896 and improved it.
Development of intubation progressed with the invention of the laryngoscope by Chevalier Jackson which allowed a clear view of the glottis and introduction of a cuffed or non-cuffed tube. Various models were developed subsequently.
Use of intubation became standard in anaesthesia and in intensive care for assisted ventilation.
The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) a supraglottic device developed by the English anaesthetist Archie Brain during the 1980s, overcame many of the problems associated with difficult endotracheal intubation.