A survey of current practices in the diagnosis of and interventions for inhalational injuries in Canadian burn centres

Objective To summarize current Canadian practice patterns in the diagnosis of and interventions for inhalation injuries (INHI). Methods A 10-question survey regarding the diagnosis of and interventions for INHI was sent to the medical directors of all 16 burn centres across Canada. Results The response rate to the survey was 50%. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy is required for the diagnosis of INHI in only four centres (50%). The departments of intensive care, plastic surgery, otolaryngology and respirology are involved in performing fibreoptic bronchoscopy in 87.5%, 37.5%, 12.5% and 12.5% of Canadian burn centres, respectively. Intubation for INHI is most often based on physical examination results (87.5%) and clinical history (75%). The most common physical features believed to be most consistent with INHI are dyspnea (87.5%) and hoarseness (87.5%). Common treatments include intubation (87.5%), routine ventilatory support (87.5%) and chest physiotherapy (75%). None of the centres used nebulized heparin. A total of five centres (62.5%) routinely changed the fluid resuscitation protocol when INHI was diagnosed. Only two centres (25%) routinely used prophylactic antibiotics for INHI. Conclusion Prospective, multicentre trials are needed to generate evidence-based consensus in the areas of diagnosis, grading and treatment for INHI in Canada.