Airway complications from free-basing cocaine

Abstract

The majority of the deaths due to fires result from smoke inhalation, hypoxia, and systemic toxicity. Lower airway injury from chemical byproducts carried in the smoke is less frequent and thermal injury to the lower airways is a rare occurrence. We report a case of severe thermal injury to the conducting airways due to either inhalational injury or to intratracheal ignition of the ether vehicle used in free-basing cocaine resulting in severe reactive airways disease and tracheal stenosis requiring reconstructive surgery.