Assessing damage to the respiratory tract following thermal injury.

Physicians may institute respiratory therapy at several points along the course of treatment of the burn patient. In the emergency room, they may have to introduce an airway before they can transport the patient to a burn unit. Physicians may have to administer oxygen or place the patient on mechanical ventilation to reverse ventilatory failure, start treatment of the damage to the airways, or prevent or respond to respiratory complications. Any time a physician must choose respiratory therapy, he must base his decision on accurate assessments of the upper and lower airways.