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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Fixed Volume or Fixed Pressure: A Murine Model of Hemorrhagic Shock
Published on: June 6, 2011
Effect of methylene blue on resuscitation after haemorrhagic shock
I Jeroukhimov1, A Weinbroum, R Ben-Avraham
1The Department of Surgery B Sharee Zedek Medical Centre, Jerusalem, Israel.
Objective:
To compare prehospital hypotensive resuscitation with volume resuscitation, and find out whether reagents that inhibit free-oxygen radical formation, such as methylene blue, can improve resuscitation and survival.
Design:
Randomised controlled trial.
Setting:
Animal laboratory, Israel.
Animals:
48 adult male Wistar rats.
Interventions:
After 30 minutes of controlled haemorrhage, rats were subjected to 60 minutes of uncontrolled haemorrhage with simultaneous resuscitation. Hartmann's solution alone, or with blood or with a bolus of methylene blue were infused to maintain the mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 80 or 40 mm Hg. Then haemorrhage was stopped and Hartmann's solution plus whole blood were infused to obtain a MAP that was within normal limits.
Main Outcome Measures:
Volumes of shed blood and resuscitation fluids, MAP, packed cell volume, blood pH and base deficit, and survival.
Results:
During uncontrolled haemorrhage. a MAP of 80 mm Hg could not be reached in animals resuscitated with Hartmann's solution alone, and all died. All the rats given Hartmann's solution with a bolus of methylene blue or with whole blood achieved a higher MAP. MAP of 40 mm Hg was attained in all animals regardless of the resuscitation fluid. Only 15 of 24 animals resuscitated to a MAP of 80 mm Hg survived, compared with 22 survivors of the 24 rats resuscitated to a MAP of 40 mm Hg (p <0.04). Methylene blue or whole blood drastically reduced the volumes of shed blood and of fluids required, and moderated the reduction in packed cell volume, particularly during hypotensive resuscitation.
Conclusion:
Hypotensive protocols should be used to improve survival. Methylene blue given with the electrolyte solutions could negate their detrimental effects during resuscitation.
