HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free All Versions of this Article: 101/3/763    most recent 01635.2005v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Riedel, T. Articles by Schibler, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Riedel, T. Articles by Schibler, A.

Effect of smoke inhalation on viscoelastic properties and ventilation distribution in sheep

¹Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Children's Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales; ²Critical Care Research Group and ³Biological Research Facilities, The Prince Charles Hospital, Chermside, Queensland; ⁴Queensland Radiation Institute and ⁵Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Mater Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Submitted 29 December 2005 ; accepted in final form 16 March 2006

Smoke inhalation injuries are the leading cause of mortality from burn injury. Airway obstruction due to mucus plugging and bronchoconstriction can cause severe ventilation inhomogeneity and worsen hypoxia. Studies describing changes of viscoelastic characteristics of the lung after smoke inhalation are missing. We present results of a new smoke inhalation device in sheep and describe pathophysiological changes after smoke exposure. Fifteen female Merino ewes were anesthetized and intubated. Baseline data using electrical impedance tomography and multiple-breath inert-gas washout were obtained by measuring ventilation distribution, functional residual capacity, lung clearance index, dynamic compliance, and stress index. Ten sheep were exposed to standardized cotton smoke insufflations and five sheep to sham smoke insufflations. Measured carboxyhemoglobin before inhalation was 3.87 ± 0.28% and 5 min after smoke was 61.5 ± 2.1%, range 50–69.4% (P < 0.001). Two hours after smoke functional residual capacity decreased from 1,773 ± 226 to 1,006 ± 129 ml and lung clearance index increased from 10.4 ± 0.4 to 14.2 ± 0.9. Dynamic compliance decreased from 56.6 ± 5.5 to 32.8 ± 3.2 ml/cmH₂O. Stress index increased from 0.994 ± 0.009 to 1.081 ± 0.011 (P < 0.01) (all means ± SE, P < 0.05). Electrical impedance tomography showed a shift of ventilation from the dependent to the independent lung after smoke exposure. No significant change was seen in the sham group. Smoke inhalation caused immediate onset in pulmonary dysfunction and significant ventilation inhomogeneity. The smoke inhalation device as presented may be useful for interventional studies.

electrical impedance tomography; functional residual capacity; lung clearance index; dynamic compliance; stress index