Oral endotracheal tube stabilization for facial burns in infants - Report of 2 techniques.

Establishing a secure airway is critical in the acute phase of facial burns. This case report involving a 9-month-old infant with facial burns describes two techniques of securing an oral airway - trans-alveolar wiring and the application of an intermaxillary fixation (IMF) screw. The use of an IMF screw was more reliable than trans-alveolar wiring, as it allowed a secure airway through the patient's hospitalization, which involved 7 additional surgical interventions including 5 separate facial skin grafts over a 3-month period.