Selective arterial infusion of vasoconstrictors for control of traumatic splenic hemorrhage

The spleen of each of 20 mongrel dogs was traumatized by creating a wedge laceration, and selective arterial infusion was then performed with vasopressin in four dogs, pituitrin in eight, and epinephrine in eight. Infusion therapy with vasoconstrictors controlled the splenic hemorrhage in 19 of 20 dogs. The 15 dogs surviving the experimental period of four to eight weeks showed well-healed scars at the sites of lacerations. Three dogs had small contracted spleens as a result of massive infarction. The results of this experiment indicate that splenic hemorrhage in the experimental dogs can be controlled by selective infusion of pituitrin or vasopressin, but is more effectively controlled with epinephrine.