The effect of in-line microwave energy on blood: a potential modality for blood warming

The treatment of hypothermia associated with hemorrhage, exposure, or intraoperative intervention continues to represent a challenge for trauma care teams. An innovative technique for combining microwave heating with continuous temperature monitoring into a feedback-controlled system for blood warming has been developed. The effect of microwave warming on the structure and function of blood was compared with that in nonheated controls. Erythrocyte structural integrity (hemolysis) was evaluated by comparing levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), potassium (K+), and plasma hemoglobin (PHGB), and hematocrit (HCT) in heated and nonheated (control) samples of banked red blood cells. Hemoglobin function was evaluated in fresh blood by comparing the P50 and hemoglobin electrophoresis of experimental and control samples. Prewarming temperatures were 3 degrees or 23 degrees C; temperatures after warming were 35 degrees, 37 degrees, or 39 degrees C. The results reflect the percentage of changes for 84 heated and 24 unheated blood samples. There were no statistical differences in any of the biochemical variables measured. The P50 for three heated and three unheated samples was 30.7 +/- 1.2 and 30.5 +/- 0.9 mm Hg (p greater than 0.05). There were no changes in the hemoglobin electrophoretic patterns in experimental or control samples. This system is designed to deliver microwave energy in a uniform and controlled manner, overcoming the limitations of conventional microwave ovens that in the past caused local overheating and subsequent hemolysis when used for blood warming. The structural and functional integrity of erythrocytes after microwave warming indicate the safety and effectiveness of this technique.