PLASMA PROTEINS (ALBUMIN AND GLOBULIN) AND RED CELL VOLUME FOLLOWING A SINGLE SEVERE NON-FATAL HEMORRHAGE

Abstract

Hemodilution as shown by a falling red cell vol. was a uniform finding in 45. non-fatal severe hemorrhages carried out without anesthesia with or without replacement of Ringer''s soln. or red cells. The most pronounced hemodilution occurred in the first hr., but continued at a decreased rate for 72 hrs. The fall in plasma proteins accompanying spontaneous hemodilution is greatest 1 hr. after the bleeding. Correction of the low albumin fraction begins rapidly in the first 6 hrs. thereafter, but then slows. being still incomplete at 7 days. In contrast the globulin fraction continues to fall at 7 hrs., but rapidly increases to its initial value between 24 and 72 hrs. The concept of acute protein deficiency is offered as a biochemi-cal explanation of the problem of fatal (uncompensated) hemorrhage; i.e., the inability of the body to supply suffi-cient albumin during hemodilution.