Serial infusion effects of hydroxyethyl starch on ESR, blood typing and crossmatching and serum amylase levels.

Eight normal healthy volunteers underwent a series of three plasmaphereses, prior to the infusion of 250, 500, and 750 ml hydroxyethyl starch (HES), respectively, in order to ascertain the effect of this agent on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), blood typing and crossmatching, and serum amylase levels. The bolus injection of either 500 or 750 ml HES produced a significant increase in the ESR, which was sustained over a 5-hour period. Rouleaux formation was observed to be dose related and only observed following administration of greater than 500 ml (575 mg/dl whole blood concentration). The rouleaux formation was, however, easily dispersed by the addition of saline. Blood typing and crossmatching studies were normal, but caution must be taken in regard to false positives when the estimated blood concentration of HES exceeds 575 mg/dl. a-Amylase activity corrected for hemodilution was not significantly altered immediately following infusion of HES in these reported amounts. Recommendation of a new method of HES administration during centrifugal leucapheresis is discussed.