Airway management and smoke inhalation injury in the burn patient.
Smoke inhalation injury, a unique form of acute lung injury, greatly increases the occurrence of postburn morbidity and mortality. In addition to early intubation for upper-airway protection, subsequent critical care of patients who have this injury should be directed at maintaining distal airway patency. High-frequency ventilation, inhaled heparin, and aggressive pulmonary toilet are among the therapies available. Even so, immunosuppression, intubation, and airway damage predispose these patients to pneumonia and other complications.
Cancio
Leopoldo C
LC
U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6315, USA. Lee.cancio@us.army.mil
D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications*; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D015208:Smoke Inhalation Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*