Which procedure may respiratory therapists assist with during airway management?

• A. Thoracentesis
• B. Cardiac catheterization
• C. Intubation
• D. Spirometry

Answer: (C)

Securing the airway with an endotracheal tube is the airway-management step that respiratory therapists routinely assist with. RTs help prepare equipment, guide the clinician during laryngoscopy, perform suction as needed, confirm tube placement (often with capnography and auscultation), secure the tube, and manage ventilation afterward. This hands-on support is specifically about placing and maintaining a definitive airway, which is why this option is the best fit. The other procedures involve areas outside the airway management process: thoracentesis drains fluid from the chest, cardiac catheterization is a heart procedure, and spirometry is a diagnostic test of lung function.