The need for hospital admission and specialized care is dictated by the severity of symptoms from smoke inhalation and the magnitude of
associated burns. Any patient who is symptomatic with smoke inhalation and has more than trivial burns should be admitted to a hospital. If the burns cover more than 15 percent TBSA, the patient should be referred to a special care unit. In the absence of burns, admission depends on the severity of symptoms, the presence of preexisting medical problems, and the social circumstances of the patient. Otherwise healthy patients with mild symptoms (only a few expiratory wheezes, minimal sputum production, CO level <10, and normal blood gases) who have a place to go and someone to stay with them can be observed for an hour or two and
then discharged. Patients with preexisting cardiovascular or pulmonary
disease who have any symptom related to smoke inhalation should be
admitted for observation. Patients with moderate symptoms (generalized wheezing, mild hoarseness, moderate sputum, CO levels 5 to 10, and normal blood gases) are admitted to a medical-surgical unit for close observation and treatment. Patients with severe symptoms (air hunger, severe wheezing, copious [usually carbonaceous] sputum) should be admitted to an intensive care unit or, preferably, a burn unit
ref: Principles of Surgery, Schwartz
if the dermal layer of the skin is damaged best treatment wound be skin grafting
your friend neither needs to have indication for admission nor skin grafting. there must have been some kind of communication failure
Posted by : vaio , Date : 2003-07-10 , Time : 17:01:05 , From IP : 172.29.3.203
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