Inhalation Score - a Novel Technique for Assessing Severity of Inhalational Burns in Correlation to Bronchoscopic...

Airway edema following burns is a typical occurrence. It poses a threat, independent of percent Total Burn Surface Area (TBSA), to the life of the patient. Fiber optic bronchoscopy is the gold standard in its diagnosis and is preferred if the facilities are present. Its availability remains a problem in the majority of burn centers in developing countries like India. Ascoring system based on clinical findings, if formulated in a manner that reflects bronchoscopy results, may help not only with diagnosis but also with airway management in inhalation burns. One hundred patients suffering from facial burns were included in the study. They were observed clinically and bronchoscopically and airway was managed on the basis of clinical, biochemical and bronchoscopic findings. Fifty patients who showed significant bronchoscopic findings on day 1 were followed up. Clinicobronchoscopic correlation revealed a positive correlation of various clinical variables as well as bronchoscopic grading with subsequent need for endotracheal intubation. Edema of tongue/floor of the mouth and palatal edema showed a positive correlation with subsequent need for tracheostomy. This clinicobronchoscopic correlation was then used retrospectively to formulate the Safdarjung Hospital 'INHALATION' score. This score can be used for predicting impending airway compromise when bronchoscopy facilities are not readily available.