Epidemiological and Laryngoscopic Characteristics of Head and Neck Burns Requiring Airway Evaluation: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort

Background and Objectives: Head and neck burns are a clinically demanding subset of burn injury because of their potential for life-threatening airway compromise, cosmetic disfigurement, and psychological morbidity. Although systematic flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy has been advocated for airway triage in this population, real-world epidemiological and laryngoscopic data from mixed pediatric and adult cohorts, particularly outside high-income Western settings, remain limited. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics, anatomical distribution, laryngoscopic findings, and airway management outcomes of patients with head and neck burns who underwent flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy for a clinical indication of suspected airway involvement at a Turkish tertiary burn center. Because inclusion required a laryngoscopy indication, patients with low-risk, isolated facial burns without airway concern were not represented in this cohort, and the reported proportions should not be interpreted as population-level prevalence estimates. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, single-center observational study analyzed 279 patients with head and neck burns who underwent flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy at a tertiary burn center between June 2022 and December 2024. Burn etiology was undocumented in 117 patients (41.9%); inferential comparison of etiology between age groups was therefore restricted to the 162 patients with documented etiology, using the chi-square test. Total body surface area (TBSA) and burn depth were not systematically recorded in the electronic health record during the study period and could not be analyzed.