RESUSCITATION OF HYPOVOLEMIA IN PIGS USING NEAR SATURATED SODIUM-CHLORIDE SOLUTION IN DEXTRAN

A 7.5% sodium chloride/6% Dextran solution (HSD) is effective for rest oration of cardiovascular function after hemorrhagic shock. In the pre sent experiments, we tested the usefulness and side effects of a 25% N aCl/24% Dextran solution (SSD), compared to HSD and 0.9% NaCl (NS). Af ter 1 hr of baseline observation, 21 anesthetized pigs were submitted to hemorrhagic shock, maintaining a mean arterial pressure of 45 mmHg for 60 min. Continuous intravenous infusion of one of the solutions wa s then initiated and the infusion rate adjusted to restore and maintai n cardiac output at baseline levels for 2 hr. The NS group required 12 1 +/- 22 ml/kg to achieve full resuscitation, while the HSD and SSD gr oups required 6.3 +/- 1.3 and 1.7 +/- 0.2 ml/kg, respectively. We conc lude that SSD infusions were exceedingly effective at restoring cardio vascular function in volumes equal to only 10% of bled volume, but wer e associated with transient hemolysis and peripheral vein inflammation .