Texas Smoke Inhalation Lawyer Represents Individuals and Families of People Who Have Suffered Severe Smoke Inhalation, Hypoxia, and Serious Burns by Texas Smoke Inhalation Lawyer, Texas Serious Burn Lawyer, and Texas Hypoxia Lawyer Jason S. Coomer
Smoke inhalation from an accidental fire can cause difficulty
breathing, hypoxia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other health issues that can
result in serious injuries or even death. In handling
Texas house fires lawsuits,
Texas apartment fire lawsuits, and other
Texas residential fire lawsuits as well as on
Texas industrial explosion lawsuits;
Texas smoke inhalation lawyers work with fire experts to determine the cause and origin of fires; medical professionals to prove up necessary medical treatment for those injured in fires; and insurance companies, witnesses, families, and parties to seek compensation for those injured by accidental fires.
Smoke Inhalation Can Cause Death or Severe Injuries
Smoke inhalation occurs when a
person breathes in smoke or the products of combustion during a fire.
The fire not only uses the surrounding oxygen in the air taking the
oxygen that humans need to breathe, but through burning or combustion
(the rapid breakdown of a substance by heat) creates smoke which is a
mixture of heated particles and gases that are created by burning.
It is impossible to predict the exact composition o
f smoke produced
by a residential fire or industrial fire as every accident fire is
different. The products being burned, the temperature of the fire, and
the amount of oxygen available to the fire all make a difference in the
type of smoke produced. This is especially true when furniture,
appliances, and other items made up of plastic or other chemicals is
burned. The resulting smoke can be filled with irritants or toxins and
result in serious respiratory problems or even death.
Smoke inhalation can damage the body by simple asphyxiation (lack of
oxygen), chemical irritation, chemical asphyxiation, or a combination of
these. Combustion can use up the oxygen near the fire and lead to
death when there is no oxygen for a person to breathe. Smoke itself can
also contain products that do not cause direct harm to a person, but
they take up the space that is needed for oxygen. Carbon dioxide acts in
this way.
Combustion can also result in the formation of chemicals that cause
direct injury when they contact the skin and mucous membranes. These
substances disrupt the normal lining of the respiratory tract. This
disruption can potentially cause swelling, airway collapse, and
respiratory distress. Examples of chemical irritants found in smoke
include sulfur dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, and chlorine.
A fire also can produce compounds that do damage by interfering with
the body's oxygen use at a cellular level. Carbon monoxide, hydrogen
cyanide, and hydrogen sulfide are all examples of chemicals produced in
fires that interfere with the use of oxygen by the cell during the
production of energy. If either the delivery of oxygen or the use of
oxygen is inhibited, cells will die.
Symptoms and Treatment of Smoke Inhalation
Smoke inhalation can cause health problems that result in coughing,
shortness of breath, hoarseness, headaches, changes in mental status,
changes in skin coloration, and passing out.
The first step in treating a person suffering from smoke inhalation
is to remove the person from the smoke-filled environment to a location
with clean air. The second step is to start CPR and make sure that they
are getting oxygen. Oxygen may be applied with a nose tube, mask, or
through a tube down the throat. If the patient has signs and symptoms of
upper airway problems (hoarseness), they will most likely be intubated.
The doctor places a tube down the throat to keep the airway from
closing due to swelling.
If the patient has respiratory distress or mental status changes, they
may also be intubated to let the staff help with breathing, to suction
off mucus, and keep the patient from choking on secretions. If the
smoke inhalation is bad enough, a bronchoscopy may have to be done to
directly look at the degree of damage done to the airways and to allow
for suctioning of secretions and debris.
