[Effect of a 10% and 6% hydroxyethyl starch solution (molecular weight 200,000/0.62) in comparison with a 10% dextran solution (molecular weight 40,000) on flow properties of blood and tissue oxygen pressure in patients with intermittent claudication].

In a randomized, double-blind cross-over study in 10 patients with intermittent claudication, 2 concentrations (6% and 10%) of a hydroxyethyl starch (HES) solution of mean molecular weight 200,000 and of substitution degree 0.62 were compared to a 10% low-molecular-weight dextran solution of mean molecular weight 400,000. In addition to several hemorheological parameters, the behavior of the tissue oxygen pressure directly in the ischemic lower leg muscles of patients with chronic arterial occlusive vascular disease (stage IIb) was examined. 500 ml of the solutions described above were infused over a period of 30 min. Parameters such as tissue oxygen pressure and flow properties of blood were determined before infusion, immediately upon terminating infusion and 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min thereafter. A reduction of hematocrit values and of whole blood viscosity was observed, which was most pronounced with the 10% solutions. The plasma viscosity increased significantly with both the 10% dextran solution as well as with the 10% HES solution. This behavior was less pronounced with the 6% solution. Measurement of the erythrocyte aggregation yielded an increase in values after infusion which was more significant for the 10% than for the 6% HES solution. The tissue oxygen pressure, as a measure of the tissue oxygen supply, remained more or less constant during hypervolemic hemodilution, despite reduced hematocrit values in the dextran group and in the 10% HES group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)