Tweet
What is smoke inhalation?
The three major problems associated with smoke inhalation are:
Heat damage is usually limited to the tissues of the mouth and upper throat.
Fortunately, smoke cools rapidly once it is inhaled. Animal experiments have shown that if air at 142C is inhaled it has cooled down to 38C by the time it has reached the chest.
Top
Causes and risk factors
Inhaling hot smoke can have a devastating effect on the delicate tissues of the respiratory system.
About 4 per cent of burn victims die from their injuries - and in many of these cases the crucial factor is smoke inhalation.
The full extent of the damage may only become apparent days after the incident itself.
Top
Symptoms
Heat damage can destroy the cells that line the mouth and throat. Often this leads to the build up of fluids within the lining of the airways, which can obstruct the airways and make breathing difficult. Maximal airway oedema actually occurs 24 hours after inhaling smoke, so patients with smoke inhalation need close observation and may need respiratory support or even intubation.
Serious smoke inhalation can lead to damage to the smaller airways deeper down in the respiratory system. These airways may become blocked by damaged material. The minute hairs, or cilia, that line these airways and help to ferry contaminants out the respiratory system may also be damaged. In this case, the patient may find breathing more and more difficult. There is also a risk of developing pneumonia, or even complete respiratory failure.
Asphyxiation occurs when the body fails to get sufficient supplies of oxygen to the tissues. Inhaling smoke blocks the intake of oxygen, and boosts levels of carbon monoxide.
As well as direct tissue damage, smoke inhalation may provoke dangerous chemical reactions within the body. Pollutants contained in smoke can trigger the immune system to react , resulting in damage to the tissues. The immune system produces a cellular response and also chemicals called cytokines which seek out and helps neutralise inhaled contaminants.
Too much of a specific cytokine called tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) can stimulate a chain reaction that leads to the death of cells and general irritation in the lung.
The three major problems associated with smoke inhalation are:
- Heat damage
- Asphyxiation
- Inhalation of smoke particles and chemicals such as carbon monoxide and cyanide causing direct irritation of the lung tissues
Heat damage is usually limited to the tissues of the mouth and upper throat.
Fortunately, smoke cools rapidly once it is inhaled. Animal experiments have shown that if air at 142C is inhaled it has cooled down to 38C by the time it has reached the chest.
Top
Causes and risk factors
Inhaling hot smoke can have a devastating effect on the delicate tissues of the respiratory system.
About 4 per cent of burn victims die from their injuries - and in many of these cases the crucial factor is smoke inhalation.
The full extent of the damage may only become apparent days after the incident itself.
Top
Symptoms
Heat damage can destroy the cells that line the mouth and throat. Often this leads to the build up of fluids within the lining of the airways, which can obstruct the airways and make breathing difficult. Maximal airway oedema actually occurs 24 hours after inhaling smoke, so patients with smoke inhalation need close observation and may need respiratory support or even intubation.
Serious smoke inhalation can lead to damage to the smaller airways deeper down in the respiratory system. These airways may become blocked by damaged material. The minute hairs, or cilia, that line these airways and help to ferry contaminants out the respiratory system may also be damaged. In this case, the patient may find breathing more and more difficult. There is also a risk of developing pneumonia, or even complete respiratory failure.
Asphyxiation occurs when the body fails to get sufficient supplies of oxygen to the tissues. Inhaling smoke blocks the intake of oxygen, and boosts levels of carbon monoxide.
As well as direct tissue damage, smoke inhalation may provoke dangerous chemical reactions within the body. Pollutants contained in smoke can trigger the immune system to react , resulting in damage to the tissues. The immune system produces a cellular response and also chemicals called cytokines which seek out and helps neutralise inhaled contaminants.
Too much of a specific cytokine called tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) can stimulate a chain reaction that leads to the death of cells and general irritation in the lung.