Abstract
Kerosene ingestion, a common cause of accidental poisoning in children, is often followed by serious bacterial pulmonary infection. The effect of kerosine ingestion (10 ml/kg) on pulmonary antibacterial defense mechanisms was studied acutely (4 hr) and subacutely (24 hr) in pretreated mice exposed to an aerosol inoculum of radiotracer-tagged (32P) Staphylococcus aureus. Intrapulmonary bacterial inactivation was determined by quantitating the change in bacterial viability and isotope clearance in the lungs of each animal. Controls inactivated 86.6 ± 1.0% of the inoculum. Kerosene ingestion resulted acutely in a depression of host defenses, with only 59.1 ± 4.5% of the inhaled bacteria cleared. In animals challenged with aerosolized bacteria 24 hours after kerosene ingestion, intraplumonary bacterial replication exceeded inactivation and bacterial clearance did not return to normal until 96 hours after ingestion. Pulmonary histology, correlated with bacterial clearance, revealed a chemical pneumonitis, with alveolar hemorrhage, bronchial necrosis and pulmonary edema. Aspiration of the ingested kerosene increased the severity of the anatomical and functional alterations. Similar structural and functional responses were demonstrated following ingestion of other toxic agents commonly ingested by children, with acute and subacute inactivation values of 70.5 ± 3.9% and 32.2 ± 11.7% for linseed oil, 46.3 ± 5.6% and 70.4 ± 4.8% for gasoline, 73.4 ± 2.9% and 70.6 ± 5.7% for lighter fluid and 54.3 ± 6.5% and 71.3 ± 3.2% for turpentine.
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Burley, S., Huber, G. & Klein, J. The effect of toxic agents commonly ingested by children on antibacterial defenses in the lung. Pediatr Res 5, 405 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00141
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00141