Apparatus for use in the establishment of an artificial airway in a patient, the apparatus comprising a tube (19a) for introduction into the patient's trachea for the passage of gases to and from the patient's lungs, an inflatable joint (20 ) arranged in the tube to provide a joint, when a joint is inflated between the tube and the patient's trachea when the apparatus is in use, the joint thus defining a portion of the lung side (19c) of the apparatus and a portion on the mouth side (19d) of the apparatus, the apparatus further comprising means for facilitating the extraction of fluid from said portion of the mouth side of the apparatus, characterized in that, the means for the extraction of fluid comprise a plurality of holes (52) integrally formed in a wall of the tube in the portion of the side of the mouth, the holes being circumferentially spaced around the tube, each opening opening within a conduit (80), the or each conduit being formed integrally in the material of the tube wall, the conduit being in fluid communication with an opening (81) positioned to be outside the patient when the apparatus is in use, the communication being of fluid between the conduit and the opening such that the suction applied to the opening causes the fluid to pass into each hole, along the conduit and out of the opening.Aparato para uso en el establecimiento de una vía respiratoria artificial en un paciente, comprendiendo el aparato un tubo (19a) para su introducción en la tráquea del paciente para el paso de los gases hacia y desde los pulmones del paciente, una junta inflable (20) dispuesta en el tubo para proporcionar una junta, cuando se infla una junta entre el tubo y la tráquea del paciente cuando el aparato está en uso, definiendo la junta de este modo una porción del lado del pulmón (19c) del aparato y una porción del lado de la boca (19d) del aparato, comprendiendo el aparato, además, medios para facilitar la extracción de fluido desde la citada porción del lado de la bo
