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.
U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6315, USA. Lee.cancio@us.army.mil
Leopoldo C
LC
Cancio
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*