Answer:
A xenon scan is reasonably accurate in diagnosing inhalation injury, but necessitates moving the patient.
Indications for intubation for upper airway injury include:
• progressive stridor
• hoarseness
•a subjective feeling of inability to breathe
Note: upper airway injury is a progressive phenomenon and it's extremely common for the supraglottic edema to resolve in 72-96 hours post injury.
Indication for lower airway injury:
• parenchymal lung failure
• infiltrates on chest radiograph
• tachypnea
• presence of A-a gradient
• poor compliance
• shunt fraction >15%