The Red Blood Cell: An Essential Component of the Toxicity of Strangulation Intestinal Obstruction

Abstract

The production in the laboratory of a fluid which simulates the “toxic” or lethal fluid of strangulating intestinal obstruction has been accomplished. This fluid requires a hemoglobin concentration of 4 g % and a level of E. coli of 10⁶ organisms/ml or more. The fluid when injected into normal animals in a dose of 5 ml/kg intraperitoneally is almost uniformly fatal. The mechanism of death appears to be identical with that which follows intraperitoneal injection of raw strangulation fluid.