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Inhalation injury causes significant morbidity and mortality secondary to compromise of the respiratory system as well as systemic effects limiting perfusion and oxygenation. Nebulized heparin reduces fibrin cast formation and duration of mechanical ventilation in patients with inhalation injury. To date, no study has compared both dosing strategies of 5000 and 10,000 units to a matched control group. This multicenter, retrospective, case-control study included adult patients with bronchoscopy-confirmed inhalation injury. Each control patient, matched according to age and percent of total body surface area, was matched to a patient who received 5000 units and a patient who received 10,000 units of nebulized heparin. The primary endpoint of the study was duration of mechanical ventilation. Secondary endpoints included 28-day mortality, ventilator-free days in the first 28 days, difference in lung injury scores, length of hospitalization, incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and rate of major bleeding. Thirty-five matched patient trios met inclusion criteria. Groups were well-matched for age (P = .975) and total body surface area (P = .855). Patients who received nebulized heparin, either 5000 or 10,000 units, had 8 to 11 less days on the ventilator compared to controls (P = .001). Mortality ranged from 3 to 14% overall and was not statistically significant between groups. No major bleeding events related to nebulized heparin were reported. Mechanical ventilation days were significantly decreased in patients who received 5000 or 10,000 units of nebulized heparin. Nebulized heparin, either 5000 units or 10,000 units, is a safe and effective treatment for inhalation injury.

Inhalation injury (IHI) causes significant morbidity and mortality in burn victims due to both local and systemic effects. Nebulized heparin promotes improvement in lung function and decreased mortality in IHI by reducing the inflammatory response and fibrin cast formation. The study objective was to determine if nebulized heparin 10,000 units improves lung function and decreases mechanical ventilation duration, mortality, and hospitalization length in IHI with minimal systemic adverse events. This retrospective, case-control study evaluated efficacy and safety of nebulized heparin administered to mechanically ventilated adults admitted within 48 hr of confirmed IHI. Nebulized heparin 10,000 units was administered Q4H for 7 days, or until extubation if sooner, alternating with albuterol and a mucolytic. Patients were matched on a case-by-case basis based on percent TBSA burn and age to patients from a historical group with IHI before heparin protocol implementation. The primary outcome was duration of mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes included lung injury score, ventilator-free days during the first 28 days, 28-day mortality, hospitalization length, ventilator-associated pneumonia incidence, bronchoscopy incidence, and bleeding events. Data were collected in 72 patients, 36 of which received nebulized heparin and 36 historical controls. Two patients from the heparin group and three patients from the control group died/were discharged while on the ventilator. Data were analyzed separately with 1) all subjects included and 2) with subjects who died/were discharged on the ventilator excluded. In the latter comparison, patients receiving nebulized heparin demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in median (interquartile range) duration of initial mechanical ventilation compared with controls [7.0 (4.0, 13.5) vs. 14.5 (5.3, 22.3) days; P = .044]. Patients in the heparin group had a significantly increased number of median (interquartile range) ventilator-free days in the first 28 days [21.0 (14.5-24.0) vs 13.5 (4.3-22.8) days; P = .031]. There were no differences in hospitalization length, lung injury score during the first 7 days post injury, 28-day mortality, ventilator-associated pneumonia rate, or bleeding events. Nebulized heparin 10,000 units in conjunction with a beta-agonist and mucolytic produced a significant decrease in duration of mechanical ventilation and increase in ventilator-free days in adult patients with IHI. Nebulized heparin was safe and did not result in an increase in bleeding events. To our knowledge, this is the first case-control study with matched cohorts based on age and %TBSA which are significant factors contributing to morbidity and mortality in IHI.