[Triage and initial treatment of house fire victims]

Medical teams are often confronted to the numerous victims due to house fires. The time course of these disasters is difficult to predict and requires an excellent rescue organization as well as good cooperation with the fire brigades and appropriate matching and raising of means to the magnitude of the disaster. Victims usually present with three types of injuries: thermal, traumatic and toxic. In order to avoid an overflow of patients in surrounding hospitals, adequate triage and treatment are required on the field. Triage is best relized by history and physical examination and the main treatment remains maximal oxygen therapy. In case of severe monoxide intoxication, cyanide poisoning should be highly suspected.