Burns to the airway can be caused by inhaling smoke, steam,
superheated air, or toxic fumes, often in a poorly ventilated
space. Airway burns can be very serious since the rapid swelling of
burned tissue in the airway can quickly block the flow of air to
the lungs.
Review Date: 01/13/2010
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason
Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve,
MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
