Absorption of inhaled water in experimental pulmonary edema and embolism

¹ Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The effect of pulmonary edema and pulmonary embolism on the rate of absorption of standard amounts of inhaled fluids was investigated in rats. Relative lung weight (= lung weight in per cent of body wt.) was used as an index of the fluid content of the lung. -Naphthylthiourea (ANTU) was used to induce lung edema; intravenous barium sulfate was used as embolic material. Fresh water (.1 ml/100 g/body wt.) saline, and other fluids were introduced intratracheally; the animals were sacrificed 5 min (fresh water), 5, and 15 min (physiological saline) subsequently. The rate of fluid absorption from the lungs was not affected by ANTU lung edema but was significantly delayed after pulmonary embolism. The implication of these findings is discussed.