[abstract] THE EFFECT OF HYPERBARIC OXYGEN AND FLUID ADMINISTRATION IN AN ACUTE INHALATION AND THERMAL INJURY MODEL.

Abstract

Inhalation injury in conjunction with a thermal injury has been found to produce different effects on the lungs than that of an inhalation injury alone. This study was designed to investigate lung water levels in animals given thermal and inhalation injuries with two fluid resuscitation regimes and hyperbaric oxygen treatment. New Zealand rabbits were anesthetized and allowed to breathe cotton smoke until COhb exceeded 60%. A 10% BSA partial thickness burn wound was then given to the shaved dorsum in those animals receiving a thermal injury. Fluid resuscitation consisted of either 5% or 10% of body weight of lactated Ringers over a 2 hr. period. HBO treatments were 2.5 ATA 02 for 60 min. with 45 min. Compression and decompression. The lungs were harvested for gravimetric analysis of lung water and were expressed as either wet/dry ratios or extravascular water divided by dry lung weight (EVLW). <table>Group, N, wet/dry. EVLW; 1) Smoke Injury - 5% Fluids, 15, 5.56, 2.80; 2) Smoke Injury - 10% Fluids, 10, 5.60, 2.31; 3) Smoke - 5% Fluids - HBO, 10, 4.94, 1.98; 4) Smoke & Thermal Injury - 5% Fluids, 8, 4.63, 1.20; 5) Smoke & Thermal Injury - 10% Fluids, 10, 5.61, 2.30; 6) Smoke & Thermal Injury - 10% Fluids - HBO, 8, 4.90, 1.42.<table> Results indicate that when thermal and inhalation injuries are combined, lower levels of extravascular lung water occur. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment results in significantly less (P<O.05) lung water in animals given either inhalation injury alone or in combination with thermal injury.