[Blood viscosity during long-term intravenous infusion of low-molecular dextran (author's transl)].

The effect on whole-blood viscosity and haematocrit was investigated in 54 persons during intravenous infusion of 500 ml Rheomacrodex 10% or 500 ml 0.9% sodium chloride solution for two, four and six hours. Rheomacrodex 10% led to a significant decrease in whole-blood viscosity after all infusion periods and up to two hours afterwards. The decrease in viscosity was definitely more marked at lower degrees of shear than at higher ones and with long-term infusion (four and six hours) than short-term infusion (two hours). Physiological saline caused significant decrease in viscosity compared with initial values at the end of four and six-hour infusions and only at shear of 230 s-1. During all infusion periods and for all degrees of shear the decrease in viscosity was significantly greater with Rheomacrodex 10% than physiological saline.