Caveats: Note: top of page Source of graphic above: D’Arpa P, Leung KP, Toll-Like Receptor Signaling in burn Wound Healing and Scaring. Adv Wound
Care (New Rochelle). 2017 Oct 1;6(10):330-343.
top of page Emergency Burn Care
top of page Secondary Survey and Resuscitation
top of page Preventing, monitoring, and treating early burn complications including compartment syndromes and inhalation injury
top of page Extended burn care to recovery: Burn excision and reconstruction
top of page Supportive Care and Burn Critical Care
top of page Treatment of Burns in Austere, Mass Casualty Conditions
top of page American Burn Association
How do burns affect the respiratory system?The respiratory system can be damaged, with possible airway obstruction, respiratory failure and respiratory arrest. Since burns injure the skin, they impair the body's normal fluid/electrolyte balance, body temperature, body thermal regulation, joint function, manual dexterity, and physical appearance.
Which type of tissue is affected in an airway thermal burn?In an inhalational burn, there is direct thermal injury to the airway, and the lung parenchyma is affected as a result of a chemical insult by the reagents found in smoke.
Why are burn patients at risk for airway concerns?The inflammatory process generated during an airway burn or inhalation injury causes edema and a potential risk of losing the airway patency. There must be a high suspicion index and a low intubation threshold versus the risk of airway obstruction.
What causes lower airway burns?When smoke is inhaled, toxic products of combustion injure airway tissues and/or cause metabolic effects. Hot smoke usually burns only the pharynx because the incoming gas cools quickly. An exception is steam, which carries much more heat energy than smoke and thus can also burn the lower airways (below the glottis).
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