What device is used to isolate and ventilate each lung separately in unilateral disease?

• A. Double Lumen ETT
• B. Nasal Cannula
• C. Single-Lumen ETT With Bronchial Blocker
• D. Face Mask

Answer: (A)

Isolating and ventilating each lung separately requires a device with two independent airways that can seal off one lung while ventilating the other. A double-lumen endotracheal tube provides two parallel lumens with separate cuffs, allowing placement so one lumen enters a mainstem bronchus and the other supplies the opposite lung. This setup lets you ventilate one lung while the diseased lung is collapsed or managed separately, which is essential in unilateral disease to protect healthy tissue and optimize gas exchange. Nasal cannula and face mask only deliver oxygen and cannot isolate ventilation between lungs. A single-lumen ETT with a bronchial blocker can achieve isolation but is more technically demanding and less straightforward for reliable, rapid single-lung ventilation, making the double-lumen tube the best choice for this scenario.