Inhalation Burns: Finding Medical and Legal Help in New York

Inhalation burns are serious injuries that can cause breathing difficulties, lung problems and even death. While inhalation burns can be treated effectively, administration of proper therapy is often delayed because inhalation burns can be difficult to detect. Sometimes, symptoms of inhalation burns do not appear for 24 to 48 hours after exposure to smoke or chemical fumes. This is why it is important to seek medical attention after any exposure to heavy smoke or dangerous chemical substances even if there are no noticeable burn symptoms.

Inhalation burns can be caused by a variety of substances. Some of the more common types of inhalation burns include heat inhalation, smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide inhalation.

Heat Inhalation Burns

Heat inhalation injury occurs when the victim directly breathes in hot air from a flame or when high pressure forces heat, such as steam, into the victim's face. Inhalation of heated air causes damage to the mucous membranes in the nose and damages the upper airways. In severe cases, the heat might also damage the lungs, which can lead to respiratory failure and death. Depending on the severity, heat inhalation victims might require oxygen therapy and/or intubation.

Smoke Inhalation Burns

Smoke inhalation typically occurs when a burn victim is trapped inside an enclosed space filled with hot air and smoke. Smoke inhalation burns are especially common among firefighters who are exposed to unpredictable, dangerous fire situations. Even a few minutes of exposure to heavy smoke can cause smoke inhalation burns. Symptoms of smoke inhalation include scorched nasal hairs, eyebrows and eye lashes; difficulty breathing; and soot around the mouth and nose.

Carbon Monoxide Inhalation

The most common sources of carbon monoxide inhalation are residential fires and car fires. The symptoms of toxic poisoning include confusion, shortness of breath, skin irritation and abdominal pain. Because the toxins affect the body's ability to absorb oxygen, it is vital to provide fresh air and/or oxygen therapy to avoid permanent organ damage.

Smoke Inhalation Legal Help

Burn Injury Online is provided as a source of knowledge and hope for New York inhalation burn victims and their families. The New York City burn injury attorneys sponsoring this Web site have cultivated working relationships with top internationally renowned experts who care for and treat victims of inhalation burns, thermal burns, light burns, chemical burns and scalding burns. In addition, they work with expert forensic engineers who identify the “root-cause” of the burn-producing event. These experts and physicians have trained at the most prestigious academic institutions and are held in high esteem by their peers in the scientific community. Lawyers, medical researchers and healthcare providers collaborate to pursue medical and legal remedies for skin irritant and chemical burn injury victims.