Intraoperative prebleeding in man: effect of colloid hemodilution on blood volume, lung water, hemodynamics, and oxygen transport.

The effects of acute normovolemic hemodilution on lung water, blood volume, hemodynamics, and oxygen transport were studied. The subjects were six patients undergoing major operations, with prebleeding and hemodilution under fluoroxene and nitrous oxide anesthesia. The menatocrit was reduced form 43 to 25 percent in one step, with simultaneous infusion of Plamanate and lactated Ringer's solution. Blood volume was expanded by 5 percent by the hemodilution. The major compensation was a striking rise in cardiac output to 161 percent. Systemic oxygen transport (CO times arterial O2 content) increased despite the marked fall in oxygen-carrying capacity, and the arteriovenous O2 content difference decreased. Lung water the aveolararterial (A-a) oxygen differences were reduced. The procedure was well tolerated by this group of selected patients and homologous blood utilization was reduced.