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Animal studies can pave the way for new clinical treatment modalities. In the setting of lung injury due to smoke inhalation, one of the problems (if you can get the ET tube in) are the elevated ventilatory pressures due to the massive edema. In this sheep model of smoke inhalation, nebulized epinephrine improved ventilatory pressures, PaO2/FiO2 ratio and pulmonary shunting.
We may have these sheep to thank for this new treatment.
References
Lange M, Hamahata A, Traber DL, Cox RA, Kulp GA, Nakano Y, Traber LD, Herndon DN, Enkhbaatar P.
Crit Care Med. 2011 Apr;39(4):718-24.