Which finding is NOT typical of an airway burn?

Which finding is NOT typical of an airway burn?

• A. Hoarseness when talking
• B. Numbness in fingertips
• C. Burns around face
• D. Singed nasal hair

Answer: (B)

Airway burns from inhalation injure the upper airway, so the signs are all about heat and irritation reaching the face and throat. Hoarseness comes from swelling and irritation of the vocal cords, making the voice rough or muffled. Burns around the face reflect exposure to heat or flames. Singed nasal hairs are a classic clue that smoke or hot gases were inhaled and that the airway may be at risk for edema. These findings together point to an inhalation injury that can rapidly worsen and threaten the airway. Numbness in fingertips does not fit with airway inhalation injury. That symptom points toward nerve or circulation issues rather than the airway’s reaction to heat or chemical exposure. So the finding not typical of an airway burn is numbness in the fingertips.

Airway burns from inhalation injure the upper airway, so the signs are all about heat and irritation reaching the face and throat. Hoarseness comes from swelling and irritation of the vocal cords, making the voice rough or muffled. Burns around the face reflect exposure to heat or flames. Singed nasal hairs are a classic clue that smoke or hot gases were inhaled and that the airway may be at risk for edema. These findings together point to an inhalation injury that can rapidly worsen and threaten the airway.

Numbness in fingertips does not fit with airway inhalation injury. That symptom points toward nerve or circulation issues rather than the airway’s reaction to heat or chemical exposure. So the finding not typical of an airway burn is numbness in the fingertips.