ABSTRACT
Victims of burn trauma pose a challenge to the inflight medical team. Although minor burns (less than 15 per cent of body surface area) should not present physiological problems during flight, patients with burns to cosmetic areas, or when appearance or odor may cause offense to other passengers, may be refused permission to fly on commercial aircraft. Patients with major burns have derangements of normal anatomy and physiology which are likely to be severe. The simplest approach to these patients is to follow the traditional airway (A), breathing (B), circulatory status (C), and an assessment of neurological dysfunction (D) approach to emergency care. Airway obstruction due to laryngeal edema following a respiratory tract burn should be considered in all patients being transferred to a primary receiving center and those being transferred to a burns unit within the first twelve hours of injury.
