Changes in Plasma Volume and Cardiac Output Following the Intravenous Injection of Gelatin, Serum, and Physiological Saline Solution 1

Abstract

There has recently been a renewed interest in the use of gelatin as a substitute for blood plasma (1 to 5). The purpose of the present study is to determine, in normal dogs, the degree to which a single large intravenous injection of gelatin solution, physiological saline solution, or serum remains in the vascular bed and to determine the effect of these injections on cardiac output. METHODSDogs were anesthetized with an intravenous injection of sodium barbital, 250 mgm. per kgm. body weight. A tracheotomy was performed and a tracheal cannula inserted. A cephalic vein, carotid artery, and a small branch of the right and left femoral arteries were exposed and cannulated. Arterial blood pressure was recorded by means of a Hg manometer that was connected to the carotid cannula. The cardiac output, right auricular pressure, and hematocrit were determined and, at the same time, 10 to 40 mgm. of the dye, T-1824, were injected intravenously to determine the plasma volume. One hour later, 50 cc. per kgm. body weight of warmed gelatin solution, physiological saline solution, or serum were injected into the cephalic vein at the rate of 5 cc. per kgm. per minute. Twenty minutes after the completion of the fluid injection, the cardiac output was determined, an "indirect" determination of plasma volume was made, and the hematocrit was determined. At 40 minutes after the completion of the injection, an "indirect" determination of plasma volume was made and the hematocrit was determined. At 60 minutes after the completion of the injection, the right auricular pressure, hematocrit, -and cardiac output were determined, and an "indirect" determination of plasma volume was made. At the same time, 10 to 20 mgm. of dye were injected for a second "direct" determination of plasma volume. Two hundred and forty minutes after the completion of the injection, the hematocrit, right auricular pressure, and cardiac output were determined. At the same time, 10 mgm. of dye were injected intravenously for a third "direct" plasma volume determination.

Gelatin as a Plasma Substitute: The Effects of Intravenous Infusion of Gelatin on Cardiac Output and Other Aspects of the Circulation of Normal Persons, of Chronically Ill Patients, and of Normal Volunteers Subjected to Large Hemorrhage

“…Even larger percentage increases of cardiac output were found (26) to follow gelatin infusion in dogs, but the amount of solution injected was much larger in proportion to the blood volume than was used in this study, so these results are concordant with ours.…”

Cardiovascular, Renal, and General Effects of Large, Rapid Plasma Infusions in Convalescent Men 1

“…Pulse rate and blood pressure changes similar to ours have been noted by several investigators after large infusions into dogs (1,2,4,13). Others have found slight or inconstant -changes in dog (15) and in man (17,(22)(23)(24), possibly because of lower rates of fluid administration (17,22,23) or because of failure to measure pulse rate and blood pressure during infusion (15,23,24).…”

“…There have been numerous studies of the effects of the intravenous injection of large amounts of fluids into animals (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16) and into man (17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25). Eyster and Middleton (17) found that injection of about 1%o of body weight of blood in 10-14 minutes into cases of primary anemia caused transitory changes in blood and venous pressures and insignificant alterations in heart size.…”

The Treatment of Shock Due to Salt Depletion; Comparison of the Hemodynamic Effects of Isotonic Saline, of Hypertonic Saline, and of Isotonic Glucose Solutions 12

“…The protein lost from the circulating plasma is not restored. 4. It is not possible under the limited conditions of these experiments to assign any deleterious effects directly to such glucose infusions, provided that they do not provoke the convulsive manifestations of water intoxication.…”