Objective: To assess the acute (4-hr), subacute (7-day), and chronic (21-day) effects of simulated aspiration of a 0.7% sucralfate suspension in rats.
Design: Prospective, multigroup trial in which rats were randomized to various simulated aspiration groups.
Setting: Experimental animal laboratory.
Subjects: Forty-five Sprague-Dawley rats.
Interventions: Simulated aspiration was induced by single, direct, tracheal instillation of 2 mL/kg of either room air, sucralfate, or normal saline.
Measurements and main results: Lung histologic changes were assessed using a quantitative numerical scoring scale. There was an increase in bronchiolar inflammation in rats undergoing acute, simulated sucralfate aspiration compared with controls. There were no significant differences (p > .05) in any other features at any time interval studied (two-way analysis of variance).
Conclusions: Even though significant inflammatory airway lesions were produced in this acute model, these abnormalities resolved without evidence of subacute or chronic histologic progression. It remains to be determined if this pattern is unique to this specific experimental model or if it can be extrapolated to critically ill patients.