The ETT medical abbreviation most often stands for endotracheal tube, the flexible plastic breathing tube passed through the mouth or nose into the windpipe so a ventilator or hand bag can breathe for the person. In heart clinics the same three letters can mean exercise tolerance test, also called an exercise treadmill test, a stress test done while walking on a treadmill.
You will find the first meaning in operating room records, intensive care notes and emergency charts. The second turns up in cardiology referrals and test reports. The rest of this page shows clues that reveal which meaning a note intends, how tube size and depth are recorded, and which nearby terms are easy to mix up.
At a glance
Stands for
Endotracheal tube (most common)Other meanings
Exercise tolerance test or exercise treadmill test (cardiology)Word roots
Endo (within) plus trachea (windpipe)Used in
Anesthesia, intensive care, emergency medicine, cardiologyWritten as
ETT, ET tube, endotracheal tubeDo not confuse with
Trach (tracheostomy tube) and ET (sometimes eustachian tube)
What the ETT medical abbreviation means at the bedside
An endotracheal tube is placed during intubation. A clinician uses a lighted scope to see the vocal cords, slides the tube between them, and inflates a small balloon called the cuff so air goes into the lungs and not around the tube. The tube then connects to a ventilator or to a hand bag.
People need an ETT for general anesthesia during many operations, for serious breathing failure, to protect the airway when someone cannot keep it clear, and during resuscitation. While the tube is in, the person cannot speak, because it passes between the vocal cords. When the tube comes out, the note usually says extubated.
Size, depth and other numbers charted with the tube
Airway notes record a few standard numbers so the next team can check that nothing has moved.
| Entry | What it tells the team |
|---|---|
| 7.5 ETT | Inner diameter of the tube in millimeters |
| 23 cm at the lip | Depth marking on the tube where it meets the lips or teeth |
| Cuffed | The tube has a balloon near its tip |
| Placement confirmed | Checked by listening, carbon dioxide reading and often a chest film |
A CXR report may add a line such as tip of ETT about 4 cm above the carina, which is the point where the windpipe splits. Tube sizes and depths vary with age and body size, so the numbers in any one note belong to that patient only.
ETT medical abbreviation in cardiology
Cardiology notes use ETT for an exercise tolerance test. The person walks on a treadmill while the speed and incline rise in stages, and staff watch the heart tracing, blood pressure, symptoms and how long the person can keep going. The aim is to see how the heart behaves under effort and whether signs of reduced blood flow appear.
In a clinic letter: "ETT: exercised 9 minutes, no chest pain, no ischemic changes." Here the writer means a treadmill stress test, not a breathing tube. The heart tracing during the test is an EKG, and some versions add imaging such as a heart ultrasound.
Telling the two meanings apart
Setting usually settles it within one line. An ETT that has a size in millimeters, a depth in centimeters, a cuff, a ventilator setting or the word intubated is the breathing tube. An ETT that comes with minutes of exercise, workload, heart rate response or ST changes is the treadmill test. Some clinics write ETT for the test and others write EST or GXT, so the wording varies by practice.
If a patient portal note is still unclear, the clinician who wrote it can say which meaning was intended.
Airway tubes that look alike in a chart
Several airway devices have their own shorthand, and they are not the same thing.
- ETT: through the mouth or nose into the windpipe, usually short term.
- Trach: a tracheostomy tube placed through a surgical opening in the front of the neck, often for longer breathing support.
- LMA: a laryngeal mask airway that sits above the vocal cords rather than passing through them.
- NGT or OGT: a nose or mouth tube that goes to the stomach, not the lungs.
Mixing up a feeding tube and a breathing tube matters, which is why tube position is confirmed and charted. More procedure and device terms are grouped on the surgical abbreviations page.
For students: charting around the tube
Nursing and respiratory students chart ETT checks every shift: depth at the lip, cuff status, how the tube is secured, skin under the holder, and suctioning. Handoff often includes a line such as ETT 7.5 at 23, on vent, sedated. Learning to read that line quickly is part of intensive care orientation.
These are general explanations of chart wording. Questions about a family member's breathing tube or a planned stress test are best put to the care team looking after them.
Frequently asked questions
What does ETT mean in a hospital chart?
In most hospital charts ETT means endotracheal tube, the breathing tube placed during intubation. It is common in operating room, intensive care and emergency notes.
What does ETT mean in cardiology?
In cardiology ETT usually means exercise tolerance test, a treadmill stress test that records the heart tracing and blood pressure during exercise. Some clinics call the same test EST or GXT.
Is an ETT the same as a tracheostomy?
No. An endotracheal tube goes in through the mouth or nose and is usually short term, while a tracheostomy tube goes through an opening made in the neck. A person may move from one to the other if breathing support is needed for a long time.
What do the numbers after ETT mean?
A number such as 7.5 is the inside width of the tube in millimeters, and a number in centimeters is how deep it sits, measured at the lips or teeth. They help staff notice if the tube shifts.
Can a person talk with an ETT in place?
No, because the tube passes between the vocal cords. Staff often use writing boards, picture cards or yes and no signals until the tube is removed.