The Morphology of Smoke Inhalation Injury in Sheep

Pulmonary injury resulting from inhalation of chemical and particulate products of incomplete combustion is one of the principal determinants of mortality following burn injury. In this study, the histopathology of inhalation injury was examined in sheep. Mild, moderate, or severe smoke injury was produced in anesthetized sheep by insufflation with various doses of ambient temperature smoke, generated by burning polyethylene, wood pulp, and nonwoven cellulose pads. A total of 64 sheep were exposed and evaluated at times ranging from 15 minutes to 4 weeks after exposure. Morphologic changes in the lungs were studied using light microscopy and both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The primary, dose-responsive injury observed was acute cell membrane damage in the trachea and bronchi leading to…