CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES IN DOGS TO INTRAVENOUS INFUSIONS OF WHOLE BLOOD, PLASMA, AND PLASMA FOLLOWED BY PACKED ERYTHROCYTES

Abstract

Effects of intravenous infusions of large volumes of blood or of plasma followed by packed erythrocytes were studied in anesthetized normal dogs. During plasma infusion the right auricular pressure (RAP) and cardiac output increased as the hematocrit decreased. Blood infusion caused a rise in RAP but was, in most cases, not accompanied by an increased output. Thus, although the blood volume and RAP may be important in the regulation of cardiac output, they are not the controlling factors under all conditions. The relative oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood appears to be more important in the cardiovascular adjustments to hypervolemia.