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A bougie introducer is a flexible airway guide used to help place an endotracheal tube into the trachea. It is also called an endotracheal tube introducer or gum elastic bougie. Clinicians use it during selected intubations, especially when the airway view is difficult. The bougie is a temporary guide and is removed after the breathing tube is placed.
read more about bougie introducer ...The bougie is guided toward the trachea during airway management. Once its position is confirmed by trained staff, an endotracheal tube can be advanced over the bougie. The bougie helps guide the tube when direct tube placement is difficult. Staff then remove the bougie and confirm the breathing tube position using clinical checks and carbon dioxide monitoring when available.
A bougie introducer can be used during emergency, anesthesia, intensive care, or transport intubation. It can help when the vocal cords are partly seen or when anatomy makes tube placement harder. Some clinicians use it as a planned first-pass aid in higher-risk airways. The decision depends on patient condition, airway assessment, equipment, and clinician training.
The bougie should be the correct size and compatible with the planned endotracheal tube. Staff check the package, sterility, tip, markings, stiffness, and device integrity before use. Forceful advancement can injure airway tissue, so placement should be controlled. If resistance is felt, the clinician should reassess rather than push harder.
Many bougie introducers are single-use and should be discarded after use. Reusable types need cleaning, inspection, and reprocessing based on the device maker's instructions. Damaged, bent, rough, or contaminated devices should not be used. Bougies should be stored with airway equipment so they are available during urgent intubation.
No. The bougie guides the breathing tube during placement and is then removed. The endotracheal tube stays in place if intubation is successful.
No. A stylet sits inside the breathing tube to shape it, while a bougie is placed first and the tube passes over it. Both can support airway placement, but they work differently.
Yes. Airway injury can happen if the bougie is advanced forcefully or used incorrectly. Trained clinicians use controlled technique and stop if resistance is felt.
It can help guide the breathing tube when the airway view is limited or tube passage is difficult. It is one option in a trained airway plan.
Endotracheal Intubation Techniques. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560730/. Date Accessed May 27, 2026.
Airway Management. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470403/. Date Accessed May 27, 2026.
Difficult Airway. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470224/. Date Accessed May 27, 2026.
Effect of Use of a Bougie vs Endotracheal Tube and Stylet on First-Attempt Intubation Success Among Patients With Difficult Airways Undergoing Emergency Intubation. PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6134434/. Date Accessed May 27, 2026.
Use of the Endotracheal Bougie Introducer for Difficult Intubation. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15520943/. Date Accessed May 27, 2026.