Management and Complications of Severe Pulmonary Burn

Abstract

WITH RECENT improvements in the management of shock and sepsis due to burns, the problem of respiratory-tract damage has become increasingly important to the management of severe thermal injuries. The following case report describes the successful management of a case of deep tracheopulmonary burns, and demonstrates that bronchiectasis and bronchial stenosis may develop after recovery from the burn. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> A 5-year-old boy weighing 50 lb (22.7 kg) was burned in a tenement fire in which two siblings died and a sister was burned to a lesser degree. A half hour after the injury, the patient's pulse rate was 180 beats per minute; the temperature, 103 F (39.4 C); respirations, 40 per minute; and the blood pressure, 70/0 mm Hg. First- and second-degree burns were present over the face, ears, and scalp, together with third-degree burns over 30% of the trunk, arms, hands, and upper thighs. The pharynx