A COMPARISON OF TEN INFUSION FLUIDS IN THE TREATMENT OF MODERATE AND SEVERE HEMORRHAGE IN ANIMALS

Abstract

The effectiveness of ten infusion fluids (human globin, dog globin, whole blood, standard plasma, special plasma, 5% albumin, 25% human albumin, oxypolygelatin, human Hb, and physiologic saline soln.) in restoring the circulation of dogs subjected to severe hemorrhage was compared. Two methods were used in producing the hemorrhage. In the first, blood pressure was lowered to 20 mm. Hg (Procedure I) by a hemorrhage averaging 51.7 ml./kg. and the replacement started immediately. In the 2d, blood pressure was lowered to 30 mm. Hg (Procedure II) and maintained at that level for 1 hr. (avg. total blood loss, 49.4 ml./kg.). In both procedures, the dogs were subjected to a test bleeding 3 hrs. after infusion. The human and dog globin gave less satisfactory responses than physiologic saline soln. with Procedure I and were not studied further. This procedure showed that dog plasma prepared by the usual routine was inferior to plasma obtained from he-parinized donors. Accordingly, only the latter was tested in Procedure II. All of the other materials except whole blood were tested in Procedure II, which was a much more severe test and probably more nearly comparable to clinical conditions. Physiologic saline soln. and Hb soln. were definitely inadequate by this test, and oxypolygelatin and 25% albumin were less suitable than especially prepared plasma and 5% albumin. Unless special precautions were taken to minimize incipient coagulation and to exclude microscopic particulate matter, dog plasma frequently produced subcutaneous edema accompanied by a fall in blood pressure a short time after infusion.