OBJECTIVETo observe the preventive and therapeutic effect of advanced airway management on pulmonary infection in patients with inhalation injury after tracheotomy.

METHODSfourteen burn patients with inhalation injury admitted to our hospital from January 2001 to December 2004 were enrolled as control (C) group, and they were treated with conventional systemic therapy and management of airway. Twenty-seven burn patients with inhalation injury admitted to our hospital from January 2005 to October 2009 were enrolled as advanced (A) group, and they were treated with conventional systemic therapy and advanced airway management, including bedside isolation of airway, fixation of both oxygen supply tube and humidifying tube, humidification in specific body position, thinning of sputum, lavement of airway and procedural sputum elimination, steam inhalation combined with medicine, and suction of sputum with interrupted negative pressure. Result of bacterial culture of sputum (the 7th day after tracheotomy) and chest X-ray (at admission and the 7th day after tracheotomy), pulmonary infection, change in blood gas analysis index and oxygen saturation (SO(2)), (within 7 days after tracheotomy), and the number of patients curd in 2 groups were observed and compared.

RESULTS(1) Positive result of bacterial culture of sputum was observed in 11 (78.6%) patients in C group and 12 (44.4%) patients in A group. The difference between them was statistically significant (chi(2) = 4.36, P < 0.05). The main bacterium detected was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (2) Pneumonia was suspected in 7 patients (25.9%) in A group by chest X-ray, which was obviously fewer than that in C group (8 Cases, 57.1%, chi(2) = 3.87, P < 0.05). The result was in accordance with the diagnosis of pulmonary infection. (3) No CO(2) retention, SO(2) and PaCO(2) abnormality caused by asphyxia was observed in 2 groups, PaCO(2) value in A group was close to that in C group (t = 0.89, P > 0.05). (4) In C group, 9 (64.3%) patients were cured, 5 patients died of pneumonia, wound sepsis, and MODS. In A group, 25 (92.6%) patients were cured, 2 patients died of MODS. Number of cure was obviously larger in A group than in C group (chi(2)= 5.22, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe advanced airway management has better effects on isolation and humidification of airway, and thinning, drainage, and elimination of sputum. And it can decrease the probability of blind suction and injury to airway, and it prevents pulmonary infection following tracheotomy.