Treatment of hemorrhagic hypotension with hypertonic/hyperoncotic solutions: effects on regional cerebral blood flow and brain surface oxygen tension.

Hypertonic/hyperoncotic solutions (e.g. HHS: 7.2% NaCl/10% dextran-60) are highly effective to normalize cardiovascular function in hemorrhagic shock due to rapid mobilization of fluid from the extravascular compartment. Since experiences are limited with regard to potential side effects of this treatment on the central nervous system, the present studies were carried out under particular consideration of the cerebral blood flow and O2 supply. HHS was administered in albino rabbits subjected to alpha-chloralose anesthesia and artificial ventilation with and without hemorrhagic hypovolemia. Hemorrhagic hypovolemia of 30 min duration was induced by withdrawal of approximately one third of the circulating blood volume resulting in a decrease in arterial blood pressure to 40 mm Hg. HHS was studied in addition to normovolemic animals. Cardiac output was rapidly normalized by infusion of HHS in animals with hypovolemia, while it increased intermittently in normovolemic animals. In animals with hemorrhagic shock arterial blood pressure recovered by treatment to approximately 70% of normal, whereas blood pressure remained unchanged after infusion of HHS in normovolemic controls. Cerebral blood flow, which was assessed by H2 clearance at the brain surface, had a range of 43.0-50.3 ml/100 g/min under control conditions. It remained virtually unchanged during hemorrhagic hypovolemia and also after infusion of HHS in normovolemic animals. Treatment of shock by HHS was followed 90 or 120 min later by a moderate increase in regional cerebral blood flow to 61 ml/100 g/min. Local tissue PO2 at the brain surface was obtained by an O2 multiwire electrode in the vicinity of the H2 clearance measurements using a weightless suspension system to avoid compression of the brain surface. Infusion of HHS in normovolemic animals did not affect the O2 supply of the brain. Hemorrhagic hypovolemia which led to a left shift of the cerebral PO2 histogram was followed by gradual normalization after fluid resuscitation. The current findings taken together do not indicate adverse side effects of this efficient method of fluid resuscitation with regard to the cerebral blood and O2 supply. The results make worthwhile further investigations on HHS in the presence of a focal brain lesion causing brain edema to find out whether the HHS are useful also for the treatment of intracranial hypertension.