Nebulized heparin for burned patients with inhalation injury: a review

Abstract

The presence of inhalation injury has a negative impact on the evolution of burned patients, being associated with increased mortality. It occurs as a direct consequence of thermal action, or secondary to the presence of respiratory irritants or absorption of toxins, and actual therapeutic management is mainly supportive. Several clinical findings are relevant to raising suspicion and guiding further examinations, fiberoptic bronchoscopy being the gold standard of diagnosis and staging. In burned patients with inhalation injuries, various reports showed that nebulized heparin (5,000 or 10,000 units) with a 4-hour administration regimen leads to improved outcome, reduces the days of mechanical ventilation and consequently the length of hospital stay, reduces pulmonary complications and improves lung function, having a safe profile, with fewer side effects.