ANATOMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL COMPLICATIONS AFTER TRACHEOSTOMY IN PATIENTS WITH BURNS AND INHALATION INJURIES

It is an intricate problem to maintain a free airway in patients with smoke inhalation injuries combined with deep burns of the face, neck a nd chest. In this paper, we report and discuss late problems after tra cheostomy seen in five patients. The causes were anatomical in three p atients (tracheo-oesophageal fistula, tracheal stenosis and collapse), and functional in two (difficulties in swallowing and largyngo-spasm) . The patient with a tracheo-oesophageal fistula died due to erosion o f the tracheo-innominate artery. In patients with deep burns in the fa ce, neck and chest, it is important to have a strategy of treatment to keep a free airway and to anticipate the potential development of lat e complications after tracheostomy.