Respiratory Burns with Special Reference to Pulmonary Edema and Congestion

Abstract

The functional changes in respiration, circulation, blood composition and blood temperature were investigated in anesthetized dogs that were subjected to the inhalation of steam. The pathogenesis of the accompanying pulmonary congestion and edema was analyzed by measurements of: (a) pulmonary blood flow, (b) pressures in pulmonary artery and vein, (c) pulmonary blood (P³²) volume, (d) electrical (AC) resistance of the lungs, and (e) edema fluid of the excised lung. The peculiarities of the pulmonary circulation that were demonstrated by bleeding and blood infusion explain the difficulties of correcting the congestion that regularly preceded thermal edema.