Poloxamer 188 prolongs survival of hypotensive resuscitation and decreases vital tissue injury after full resuscitation.

Hypotensive resuscitation prolongs survival of patients with severe bleeding until they can undergo hemorrhage control. However, its value is limited by continuing ischemic injury. Purified poloxamer 188 (P188), a copolymer with rheological and cytoprotective activities, was known to reduce mortality of hemorrhagic shock when used as an adjunct to full resuscitation with fresh whole blood and crystalloid. Studies were undertaken to determine if it could prolong survival and reduce reperfusion injury during prolonged hypotensive resuscitation when added to the best regimen currently available. Unanesthetized rats were bled to a MAP of 30 mmHg for 30 min under computer control. They then received hypotensive resuscitation with Hextend or Hextend + P188 to maintain a MAP of 60 mmHg until death. Poloxamer 188 improved autoresuscitation, reduced fluid requirements, and increased the survivable duration of hypotensive resuscitation by more than 3 h (P < 0.01). Additional studies assessed tissue damage after shock and hypotensive resuscitation with Hextend followed by full resuscitation with crystalloid. In these studies, P188 blunted the no-reflow phenomenon and largely prevented myocardial injury, pulmonary inflammation, small bowel damage, renal tubular necrosis, hepatic central lobular necrosis, and apoptosis of splenic germinal centers that occurred during full resuscitation. Additional studies demonstrated that P188 increased survival from 0% to 75% in 50% volume-controlled hemorrhage (P < 0.001). Finally, P188 did not increase bleeding in uncontrolled hemorrhage produced by 75% tail amputation. Because P188 prolongs survival, decreases fluid requirements, and reduces tissue damage, it deserves further consideration as an adjunct to hypotensive resuscitation.