Journal of trauma nursing : the official journal of the Society of Trauma Nurses
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Airway burns cause delayed collapse of airways due to airway edema. Transferring clinicians are trained to intubate at the first suspicion of airway collapse, which can lead to vague reasons for intubation such as "airway protection." Intubation, however, is not without risks, such as pneumonia and death. The objective of this research review is to compare pre-burn center intubations with those performed at burn centers and compare rates of pneumonia, mortality, and time to extubation. ⋯ There were mixed results on the correlation of pre-burn center intubation with pneumonia and death; however, pre-burn center patients were more likely to have earlier extubation times, which points to potentially unnecessary intubations. Clinicians should be aware of the increased mortality and morbidity associated with intubation. Providers should use objective evidence-based tools such as the ABA (American Burn Association) and Denver criteria to determine the need for intubation to avoid unnecessary intubations and their potential complications.