Treatment of postextubation stridor in a pediatric patient with burns: the role of heliox.

Stridor is a common problem in patients with burns after extubation, especially in children and in those with facial burns or airway injuries. The usual treatments for severe respiratory distress, such as reintubation and tracheotomy, carry substantial risks for patients. We report our successful treatment of severe postextubation stridor in a 7-year-old patient with burns with the administration of heliox in addition to more traditional therapies, review the literature about the use of heliox in postextubation stridor, and suggest cases in which its use may prevent the need for more hazardous interventions.