Effects of blood resuscitation versus dextran resuscitation after hemorrhage on intrinsic myocardial function

Myocardial function is altered by many factors present in hemorrhaged and resuscitated animals. The purpose of this study was to determine whether resuscitation after a short period of hemorrhagic shock, which by itself did not alter intrinsic cardiac function, causes dysfunction.

Guinea pigs were instrumented to measure blood pressure and cardiac output, and several days later 50% of their blood volume was removed at a rate of 1 mL/min. Some animals were resuscitated with the shed blood and some with 6% dextran. Hearts were studied 1 or 24 hours after resuscitation.

Isolated hearts from animals after 1 hour of resuscitation demonstrated dysfunction whether resuscitated with blood or dextran, although dysfunction was more severe with blood resuscitation. By 24 hours, dysfunction was essentially reversed.

Resuscitation after hemorrhagic shock caused injury to the myocardium independent of the hemorrhage. Blood resuscitation resulted in greater dysfunction than did resuscitation with dextran.