Prophylactic intubation and continuous positive airway pressure in the management of inhalation injury in burn victims.

Burn mortality statistics are influenced by age and degree of total surface body burn. The addition of an inhalation injury to a cutaneous burn results in a significant increase in mortality rate. Nine hundred fourteen patients with acute thermal injury were screened for positive history of burn in a closed space, facial or oropharyngeal burn, singed nasal vibrisae, carbonacious sputum, and clinical signs of upper airway involvement. On admission, 84 patients (9.2%) had more than one of the previously mentioned factors. They were prophylactically intubated and placed on optimum level of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV). The mortality rate among patients without inhalation injury was 7.1%, while 54.7% of patients with inhalation injury died. Comparison of burn patients with inhalation injury to those without pulmonary involvement at the same age group and with the same percentage of burn showed significantly higher mortality rate in patients with inhalation injury. The main cause of death in the first 72 h postburn (stage 1) in patients without inhalation injury was peripheral shock (10.1%) and in patients with inhalation injury was peripheral shock (15.2%) and cardiac failure (10.8%). No pulmonary related death occurred in this stage. In 3-10 days postburn period (stage 2), burn wound sepsis (10.1%) and cardiac failure (11.8%) were the major causes of death in patients with inhalation injury. In patients with inhalation injury, pulmonary sepsis (26%) was the major cause of death in this stage. Major causes of death after 10 days postburn (stage 3) in patients without inhalation injury were pulmonary sepsis (20%) and burn wound sepsis (22%). In patients with inhalation injury, burn wound sepsis (21.7%) was the main cause of death. These data suggest that prophylactic intubation and CPAP therapy in burn patients with suspected inhalation injury prevent pulmonary related death in early stage of burn. Irrespective of presence of inhalation injury, sepsis originating from the wound or respiratory tract is the main cause of death in the late stage of burn.