Hypertonic saline dextran resuscitation of thermal injury

Burn treatment requires large volumes of crystalloid, which may exacerbate burn-induced cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Small-volume hypertonic saline dextran (HSD) resuscitation has been used for effective treatment of several types of shock. In this study isolated coronary perfused guinea pig hearts were used to determine if HSD improved left ventricular contractile response to burn injuries. Parameters measured included left ventricular pressure (LVP) and maximal rate of LVP rise (+dP/dt max) and fall (-dP/dt max) at a constant preload. Third-degree scald burns comprising 45% of total body surface area (burn groups, N = 75), or 0% for controls (group 1, N = 25) were produced using a template device. In group 2, 25 burned guinea pigs were not fluid resuscitated and served as untreated burns; 20 burns were resuscitated with 4 mL lactated Ringer's (LR) solution/kg/% burn for 24 hours (group 3); additional burn groups were treated with an initial bolus of HSD (4 mL/kg, 2400 mOsm, sodium chloride, 6% dextran 70) followed by either 1, 2, or 4 mL LR/kg/% burn over 24 hours (groups 4, 5, and 6, respectively). Untreated burn injury significantly impaired cardiac function, as indicated by a fall in LVP (from 88 +/- 3 to 68 +/- 4 mmHg; p = 0.01) and +/- dP/dt max (from 1352 +/- 50 to 1261 +/- 90 and from 1150 +/- 35 to 993 +/- 59; p = 0.01, respectively) and a downward shift of LV function curves from those obtained from control hearts. Compared to untreated burns, hearts from burned animals treated with LR alone showed no significant improvement in cardiac function. However hearts from burned animals treated with HSD + 1 mL LR/kg/% burn had significantly higher LVP (79 +/- 4 vs. 68 +/- 4 mmHg, p = 0.01) and +/- dP/dt max (+dP/dt: 1387 +/- 60 vs. 1261 +/- 90 mmHg/sc, p = 0.01; -dP/dt: 1079 +/- 50 vs. 993 +/- 59 mmHg/sc, p = 0.01) than hearts from untreated burned animals and generated left ventricular function curves comparable to those calculated for hearts from control animals. Mortality 24 hours after burn was 29% for untreated burns was 0% for control animals, as well as for groups treated with the Parkland formula or HSD plus 1 or 2 mL/kg/% burn lactated Ringer's. The only deaths after treatment occurred in those animals given HSD plus 4 mL/kg/% burn, Parkland formula (17% mortality).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)