Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Respiratory Injuries
Number of Conditions: 1
Smoke Inhalation Injuries
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Trauma and Injuries
Sub-category: Respiratory Injuries
Symptoms:
coughing; difficulty breathing; hoarseness; soot in the nostrils or throat; wheezing; burns in the mouth or throat; altered mental state due to hypoxia
Root Cause:
Damage to the respiratory tract from inhaling hot gases, toxic fumes, or particulate matter during a fire.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical history, visible signs of inhalation, chest X-rays, bronchoscopy, arterial blood gases (ABG), and carboxyhemoglobin levels.
Treatment:
Immediate airway stabilization, oxygen therapy, bronchodilators, suctioning secretions, and mechanical ventilation in severe cases. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for carbon monoxide poisoning.
Medications:
Bronchodilators such as albuterol (to relieve bronchospasm) and corticosteroids like methylprednisolone (to reduce inflammation). Antibiotics if infection is suspected.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
A common cause of injury in fire-related incidents; smoke inhalation contributes to up to 60% of fire-related deaths.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Exposure to enclosed fires, chemical plants, or industrial fires, and lack of proper safety equipment.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Depends on the severity; mild cases recover with supportive care, while severe cases with complications (e.g., ARDS) have higher mortality.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and long-term pulmonary dysfunction.