What symptom may indicate a need for intubation in a patient with blistered lips?

Difficulty swallowing can be a critical symptom that indicates the need for intubation in a patient with blistered lips. When blistering occurs, especially in conditions like severe herpes simplex virus infection, it may lead to swelling, pain, or structural changes in the oropharynx and esophagus. These factors can make swallowing difficult, potentially resulting in an inability to manage secretions or protect the airway effectively. In such cases, if a patient cannot swallow or manage their secretions properly, they become at considerable risk for aspiration or airway obstruction. Intubation would then be necessary to secure the airway and protect it from these complications.

In contrast, while inflamed nasal passages, excessive salivation, and rapid heart rate are symptoms that might be present in a patient with blistered lips, they do not directly indicate a compromise in the patient's ability to protect their airway or manage swallowing. Therefore, these symptoms would not trigger the same urgency to intubate as difficulty swallowing would.