[The emergency treatment of a recent burn of the oesophagus (author's transl)].

The emergency treatment of an oesophageal burn consist of: -- avoidance of a certain number of measures which may be considered to be dangerous or useless: gastric lavage, emetic agents, neutralising agents or oesophageal antacids; -- the treatment of shock and of oesophageal and gastric complications, in cases of massive ingestion in which the prognosis may be improved only by active, thorough and prolonged intensive therapy; -- attempting to prevent the development of subsequent stenosis following massive ingestions. The majority of authors are in agreement concerning the usefulness of early assessment by oesophagoscopy. There exists a certain amount of discord concerning the use of a calibrating oesophageal tube and the usefulness of corticosteroid therapy.