Smoke inhalation is breathing in the harmful gases, vapors, and particulate matter contained in smoke.

Smoke inhalation typically occurs in victims or firefighters caught in a fire, but cigarette smoking also causes similar damage on a smaller scale over a longer period of time. People who are trapped in fires may suffer from smoke inhalation without having skin burns; however, the chance of smoke inhalation increases with the percentage of total body surface area burned. Smoke inhalation contributes to the total number of fire-related deaths each year because the damage is serious, it may be hard to diagnose and patients may not show symptoms until a day or two after the fire. Children under age 11 and adults over age 70 are most vulnerable to the effects of smoke inhalation.

The harmful materials given off in a fire injure the airways and lungs by heat damage, irritation, and...