ENT Congress 2019: AIRWAY MANAGEMENT OF THE BURN PATIENT – OUR EXPERIENCEAthanasia Tourgeli- ENT Consultant EVANGELISMOS Hospital Athens

The management of burn patient in A&E Department is a really emergency situation which demands the liaison of various specialties. Patients with extended burn injuries have also smoke inhalation injury and compromise airway, therefore the role of Otolaryngologist is of vital importance. Specifically Otolaryngologist can diagnose with flexible laryngoscopy a compromise airway and thus contributes to secure it via intubation or even tracheotomy However, airway management in the thermally-injured patient remains a clinical challenge. Even when performed by trained physicians in the controlled environment of a burn unit, the potential for airway catastrophe is well-documented in this population. Pre-hospital and pre-burn centre hospital providers with insufficient training are usually the first to tend to the burn victim, and they are often forced to make critical airway management decisions. Moreover, initial treatment of the patient is usually in a less controlled environment, such as at the scene of the burn injury or in the non-burn centre emergency room, which significantly increases the difficulty and complexity of airway management.

Author(s): Athanasia Tourgeli ,Nikolaos Drimalas ,Sotirios Botsakis ,Maira Zora , Sotia Sotiroudi ,Kalliopi Kontogiorgi

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