Wf. Young et al., PRESERVATION OF POSTCOMPRESSION SPINAL-CORD FUNCTION BY INFUSION OF HYPERTONIC SALINE, Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology, 6(2), 1994, pp. 122-127
We tested the hypothesis that the administration of hypertonic saline,
following traumatic injury to the spinal cord, could enhance blood fl
ow to the cord and preserve function. Rats were used as the experiment
al model. Direct compression of the spinal cord for a period of 10 min
was done to produce the injury. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP
s) and spinal cord blood flow were measured using a laser Doppler flow
meter throughout the experiment. Comparisons of the blood flow values
and SSEPs were made among four different groups of animals. The contr
ol group received no fluid resuscitation after injury. A second group
received a bolus injection of isotonic saline (0.5 ml/100 g) as an i.v
. infusion over a period of 1 min. A third group received a bolus infu
sion of 7.5% NaCl (0.5 ml/100 g) over a period of 1 min. The final gro
up received 4 ml/100 g of 0.9% NaCl over a period of 10 min. The admin
istration of hypertonic saline significantly reduced spinal cord vascu
lar resistance during the first 10 min after infusion. During the firs
t 30 min after the removal of compression, spinal cord blood flow was
greater in the hypertonic saline group than in the other three groups.
The hypertonic saline group had a reactive hyperemia whereas the flow
in the other groups remained at or below control values. Beginning 10
min after injury and for the remainder of the 1-h observation period,
the latency of the cortical peak of the SSEP in the group receiving h
ypertonic saline was significantly shorter than in any of the other th
ree groups. These results indicate that the administration of hyperton
ic saline enhances blood flow and preserves spinal cord conduction fol
lowing traumatic injury to the spinal cord.