A 42-year-old male complains of shortness of breath after being sprayed with super-heated steam. He has burns to his face, neck, and upper chest. What should you do?

In the scenario described, the nature of the injury—specifically inhalation of super-heated steam and the presence of burns to the face, neck, and upper chest—indicates a potential compromise to the airway and respiratory function. Assisting his ventilations is critical because super-heated steam can cause significant airway edema, leading to reduced airflow and inadequate oxygenation.

When the patient's airway is at risk due to burns and inhalation injury, assisting ventilations can help ensure that adequate breaths are delivered to maintain proper oxygenation and prevent respiratory failure. The immediate concern is to secure adequate ventilation while assessing the patient's ability to breathe on their own.

While monitoring vital signs, administering high-flow oxygen, and providing oral fluids may serve important roles in patient care, they do not directly address the urgent need for ventilatory assistance when the patient's airway is compromised. High-flow oxygen alone may not be sufficient if the patient cannot effectively ventilate, making assistance with ventilations the priority in this scenario.