Final answer:
Intubated patients breathe through a tube inserted during endotracheal intubation, which provides an open airway while a positive pressure respirator assists with inhalation. Exhalation relies on the natural elasticity and surface tension in the lungs’ alveoli.
Step-by-step explanation:
Intubated patients breathe with the help of a medical procedure known as endotracheal intubation. During this process, a tube is inserted into the trachea to maintain an open airway to the lungs.
This is particularly important during surgery when general anesthesia is administered, as the patient's muscles necessary for breathing may be relaxed to the point of not functioning.
With the tube in place, patients are typically connected to a positive pressure respirator that pushes air into the lungs. While inspiration is mechanically assisted, patients can exhale on their own due to the natural pressure difference and the surface tension within the alveoli, which are tiny air sacs in the lungs. Endotracheal intubation allows medical personnel to control the patient's breathing until they can resume the task on their own after recovering from anesthesia.