CIRCULATORY STABILITY DURING AIRWAY SECUREMENT IN PATIENTS WITH BURN INJURIES: A COMPARATIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Airway placement triggers a sympathetic stress response that can be risky in burn patients, whose circulation is already strained. This comparative observational study examined hemodynamic responses to laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion and endotracheal tube (ETT) intubation in 50 adult burn patients undergoing short elective surgery at Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar (March to August 2025). Heart rate (HR) rose significantly less with the LMA at 1 and 3 minutes after insertion. Blood pressure differences were numerical rather than statistically significant. The LMA appears to be a safe alternative to the ETT for short procedures in burn patients with up to 20 percent total body surface area (TBSA) burns, though the small sample limits generalization.