Increased Vascular Resistance with Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers

Purpose: To compare the effects of resuscitation with hemoglobin-based oxygen-carriers and conventional resuscitation fluids on hemodynamics, oxygen transport, and oxygen consumption in an animal model of the use of these fluids in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock.Protocol: Twenty-eight immature swine were surgically prepared, allowed to recover five days, water deprived for 48 hours, hemorrhaged of 25 ml/kg over one hour, resuscitated promptly with 1) Ringer's lactate, 75 ml/kg, 2) 7% albumin in Ringer's acetate, 25 ml/kg, 3) 9% unmodified hemoglobin in Ringer's acetate, 25 ml/kg, or 4) 9% αα-crosslinked hemoglobin in Ringer's acetate, 25 ml/kg, and observed with three hours of hemodynamic and oxygen transport measurements.