Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy
The initial treatment of inhalational injury above the larynx is supportive. Oxygen should be humidified and given to the patient through a breathing mask at a rate of at least 8 litres per minute. The cervical spine must be protected by immobilization until musculoskeletal injury has been excluded; this is particularly relevant to burns secondary to road traffic accidents and explosions.
There must be constant monitoring as there is a risk of airway obstruction from mucosal oedema and possibly external burns to the neck. There should be a low threshold for endotracheal intubation, particularly in a deteriorating patient with stridor and respiratory distress.
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