A pediatric ventilator uses a plastic airway tube called an endotracheal tube to provide air to a child's lungs. A trained professional will thread the tube through the patient's mouth to thetrachea to ensure proper placement. Long-term pediatric ventilation may require the use of atracheotomy tube; it is a shorter version of the endotracheal tube and is threaded through a small slit cut in the patient's throat before being placed directly into the patient's trachea. Mechanical ventilation is provided by plastic tubing running from the ventilator machine to the tube in the child's airway. Tape or tube holders can be used to secure the tube in the child's trachea to keep the tube from slipping out.