Airway management: inhalation injury: practice question

A Anaesthesia question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anaesthesia · Airway management: inhalation injury

Sample item

A man rescued from a fire in a closed room has singed nasal hair, facial burns, a hoarse voice and carbonaceous sputum. He is speaking and SpO2 is 96 percent. What is the best airway decision?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Early elective intubation before oedema progresses

Heat and smoke cause rapidly progressive airway oedema, so signs such as hoarseness, singed hair and carbonaceous sputum call for early intubation while it is still easy. Waiting until stridor appears often leaves a swollen, difficult airway. Steroids do not prevent the oedema.

Option by option

  • A. Nebulised adrenaline and discharge

    Nebulised adrenaline gives only temporary relief and does not secure the airway.

  • B. Humidified oxygen and observation for 24 hours

    Observation risks complete obstruction as oedema peaks over hours.

  • C. Early elective intubation before oedema progresses (correct)

    Correct. Securing the airway early is safer than waiting for obstruction to develop.

  • D. Prophylactic steroids and observation

    Steroids do not prevent thermal airway oedema and are not a substitute for intubation.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Anaesthesia questions

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is C, Early elective intubation before oedema progresses. Heat and smoke cause rapidly progressive airway oedema, so signs such as hoarseness, singed hair and carbonaceous sputum call for early intubation while it is still easy.

Why is "Nebulised adrenaline and discharge" not the answer?

Nebulised adrenaline gives only temporary relief and does not secure the airway.

Why is "Humidified oxygen and observation for 24 hours" not the answer?

Observation risks complete obstruction as oedema peaks over hours.

Why is "Prophylactic steroids and observation" not the answer?

Steroids do not prevent thermal airway oedema and are not a substitute for intubation.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Airway management: inhalation injury in Anaesthesia. Waiting until stridor appears often leaves a swollen, difficult airway. Steroids do not prevent the oedema.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Airway management: inhalation injury?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.