title: [The diagnostic significance of disordered gas exchange in inhalation trauma].
abstract: 52 patients with burn injuries were prospectively investigated. In all cases intubation was necessary because of clinical signs of smoke inhalation. We studied whether a correlation could be established between the clinical signs and bronchoscopic findings and the degree of gas exchange disorder. The disturbed oxygenation was defined by the average alveolo-arterial oxygen quotient of the first 24 hours. The inhalation injury was classified by clinical signs and bronchoscopic findings (inhalation injury score). The average alveolo-arterial O2-quotient of the first 24 hours and the inhalation injury score showed a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.77). No correlation was seen between the severity of gas exchange disorder and the amount of burned body surface area (r = 0.20) respectively the age of the patients (r = 0.27). According to these results early onset of disorders in gas exchange after burn injury reflects smoke inhalation. Therefore the gas analysis from arterial blood can be a very helpful diagnostic method and allows to estimate the degree of pulmonary damage by inhalation injury.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Anaesthesiologie, Städt. Krankenanstalten der Stadt Köln.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Knüttgen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stuttmann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pillukat
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002059:Burns, Inhalation / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
vernacular_title: Zur diagnostischen Bedeutung der Gasaustauschstörung beim Inhalationstrauma.