ETHANOL ADDED TO RESUSCITATION IMPROVES SURVIVAL IN AN EXPERIMENTAL-MODEL OF HEMORRHAGIC-SHOCK

Ethyl alcohol induces systemic vasodilation, decreases platelet aggreg ation, and inhibits neutrophil activation in vivo. Alcohol may thus be of potential benefit in resuscitation from shock by improving microci rculation. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of ethano l (ETOH) in resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock. Blood pressure, tiss ue pO(2), white blood cell (WBC) and platelet adhesiveness, and surviv al were measured for 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats in a blinded and rand omized study. Anesthetized animals were phlebotomized to 60 per cent o f their blood volume, and maintained in shock for 45 minutes. Resuscit ation was by continuous infusion of Lactated Ringers (LR) at 2 x shed blood volume over 1 hour. The experimental group received LR and ETOH (1.25 mL/kg). Control rats received LR and placebo. Mean arterial pres sure was not significantly different, nor was WBC adhesiveness index d ifferent. However, postresuscitation platelet adhesiveness index was s ignificantly higher in control rats than in ETOH rats. Postresuscitati on total platelet arterial-venous difference was also greater in contr ols than in ETOH rats. Average tissue pO(2) for ETOH rats (47 +/- 8.2 mm Hg) was significantly higher than controls (39.0 +/- 9.8 mm Hg) dur ing resuscitation (P = 0.0001). Survival for ETOH rats (70%) was signi ficantly higher than controls (20%) (P = 0.003). Our data suggests tha t ETOH added to resuscitation from shock improves survival by inhibiti ng platelet activation and increasing tissue perfusion.