Experimental pulmonary contusion: review of the literature and description of a new porcine model.

In the setting of pulmonary contusion, massive crystalloid resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock may promote increased lung water leading to stiffer lungs and ultimately culminating in adult respiratory distress syndrome. The emergence of fluids that enable the clinician to resuscitate the bleeding trauma victim by using minimal fluid volumes offers new avenues of investigation for resuscitation of traumatic lung injury. Unfortunately, there has been very little experimental work in the area of pulmonary contusion in the past 15 years. We describe a new porcine model for experimental traumatic lung injury that appears to replicate the clinical scenario.