A 38 years old female presented to the emergency with extensive burns. The patient had grade 3 burns on the face, back, upper arms and forearms along with singeing of hairs. Which of the following is not a proof of inhalation burns?
Yellow colored sputum
Blackish soot deposit on posterior pa of tongue
Hoarseness & stridor of voice
Singeing of eyebrows and facial hair
Ans: A. Yellow colored sputum(Ref Reddy 33/e p325-326: Parikh 6/e p4. /60)Yellow sputum/ phlegm = Mostly a sign of bacterial infection.In burns takes time to develop.Grade 3 burns:Sputum with carbonaceous colored.Singeing of facial hair, burns on face, soot marks & singed eyebrows or facial hair - Indicative of acute burns inhalational injury.Features of inhalation injury:Characteristic:History of fire in an enclosed space.Burns of face.Singed nasal & facial hair.Inflamed pharyngeal mucosa.Carbonaceous sputum.Evidence of edematous glottis (e.g., hoarseness).