The effects of hemodilution during pulmonary edema in dogs

Because of their multiple medical problems, patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) often develop anemia. In order to determine the effects of a low hemoglobin concentration on gas exchange in such patients, the authors studied the effects of isovolemic hemodilution in the dog oleic acid model of ARDS. Twelve splenectomized dogs with oleic acid-induced pulmonary edema and a consequent venous admixture of 31% +/- 5% (mean +/- SEM) (FIO2 = 0.21) underwent two-stage isovolemic hemodilution with Hetastarch followed by retransfusion of the withdrawn red cells. This resulted in hemoglobin levels at each stage of 12.7 +/- 0.7 g/100 ml, 9.1 +/- 0.6 g/100 ml, 6.5 +/- 0.5 g/100 ml, and 10.1 +/- 0.5 g/100 ml (mean +/- SEM). Oxygen transport fell from 363 +/- 25 ml/kg/min to 219 +/- 17 ml/kg/min (p less than 0.001) at maximum hemodilution during air ventilation and from 383 +/- 79 ml/kg/min to 292 +/- 91 ml/kg/min (p less than 0.001) during oxygen ventilation. Since oxygen consumption remained constant throughout the hemoglobin range studied, decreased hemoglobin resulted in declines in P-VO2. Hemodilution with Hetastarch did not affect intrapulmonary shunt or venous admixture despite the significant increase in cardiac output associated with hemodilution.