Only 20% of patients intubated survive

[Igel]

5. There aren't many more ways.

It's a progression. You start with a bit of oxygen in a nose tube. Ramp that up. Blood-ox levels continue to drop, you move to face mask. Eventually the lungs aren't working well enough and blood oxygen levels fall to below 90% or so, and you intubate.

Many still don't reach the necessary blood oxygen levels even with intubation.

Not many easy alternatives. They can use a machine that draws blood, oxygenates it outside the body, and returns it, but those aren't the most common things on Earth and require close monitoring--meaning that they need additional staff.

This is where some of that Star Trek "tri-ox" or whatever would come in handy--one shot and your blood oxygen levels go up for a while. http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=3689


Intubation is sort of nasty, though. Paralyze the lungs (don't want competition--that could cause damage); intubate, this tube going down your throat with gag reflexes and all. Then if you get anxious or agitated (gee, ya think) you're sedated. And you might stay on that for weeks, with a 20% chance of being able to actually be free.