laryngoscope
Meaning of laryngoscope: A laryngoscope is a lighted instrument used to view the larynx, most often to guide placement of a breathing tube.
Definition of laryngoscope
A laryngoscope is a hand held medical instrument used to view the larynx, the structure in the throat that contains the vocal cords, by providing a light source and a direct line of sight, or a lens, into the throat. Its most frequent use is to guide placement of a breathing tube into the trachea during general anesthesia or emergency airway management, a procedure called intubation.
A traditional laryngoscope has a handle and a blade inserted into the mouth to lift the tongue and epiglottis out of the way, allowing a clear view of the vocal cords, while a video laryngoscope instead uses a small camera at the tip of the blade to display the view on a separate screen.
Laryngoscopes are also used, separately from intubation, to examine the larynx directly when evaluating symptoms such as persistent hoarseness or a suspected growth on the vocal cords.
How laryngoscope is built
- laryng/o Combining form · Greek larynx, voice box
- -scope Suffix · Greek instrument for viewing
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Used in a sentence
A video laryngoscope was used to help visualize the vocal cords during intubation.
Good to know
A laryngoscope's use to guide breathing tube placement during intubation is distinct from its use to directly examine the vocal cords for disease, though the same basic instrument can serve both purposes.
Word origin
Where “laryngoscope” comes from
Formed from Greek larynx, meaning the upper part of the windpipe, and -skopein, meaning to look at or examine.