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.