BACKGROUND
Treating hemorrhage with blood transfusions in subjects previously hemodiluted with different colloidal plasma expanders, using fresh autologous blood or 2-weeks stored blood, allows identifying the interaction between type of plasma expander and differences in blood storage.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
Studies used the hamster window chamber model. Fresh autologous plasma, 130 kDa starch based plasma expander (HES), or 4% polyethylene glycol conjugated albumin (PEG-Alb) were used for 20% of blood volume hemodilution. Hemodilution was followed by a 55% by blood volume 40 min hemorrhagic shock period, treated with transfusion of fresh or 2-weeks stored blood. Outcome was evaluated one hour post blood transfusion in terms of microvascular and systemic parameters.
RESULTS
Results were principally dependent on the type of colloidal solution used during hemodilution, 4% PEG-Alb yielding the best microvascular recovery evaluated in terms of the functional capillary density. This result was consistent whether fresh blood or stored blood was used in treating the subsequent shock period. Fresh blood results were significantly better in systemic and microvascular terms relative to stored blood. HES and fresh plasma hemodilution yielded less favorable results, a difference that was enhanced when fresh vs. stored blood were compared in their efficacy of correcting the subsequent hemorrhage.
CONCLUSION
The type of plasma expander used for hemodilution influences the short term outcome of subsequent volume resuscitation using blood transfusion; 4% PEG-Alb providing the most favorable outcome by comparison to HES or fresh plasma.