Traumatic Shock in Mice

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A standardized tourniquet or burn trauma was employed which was 90-100% fatal in untreated control animals. Simultaneous comparisons based on large numbers of animals were made of the 48-hr. survival rates of shocked mice following admn. of mouse whole blood, mouse plasma, 5% human serum albumin in 0.9% NaCl or in 5% glucose, and 0.9% NaCl alone. Studies were also made of the conditions influencing the effectiveness of therapy. Isotonic Na solns. admd., orally or parenterally, in vols. of 5, 10, and 15% of body wt., gave 48-hr. survivals of approx. 40, 75 and 90%, respectively. When therapy was admd. in 1 dose (5% body wt.) no difference in survival was obtained between whole blood, plasma, albumin in saline and saline alone. Albumin in glucose and glucose alone were much less effective. Under conditions of single-dose admn., therefore, the survival response was principally influenced by the Na content of the fluid. When therapy (5% body wt.) was admd. in 3 or 4 divided doses over 7 hrs. following trauma, higher survivals were obtained from the protein-containing fluids than from saline alone. No difference was noted between whole blood or plasma. In the absence of Na (albumin in 5% glucose) this effect was transitory and limited to the period of admn. Thus in divided-dose therapy it was possible to demonstrate an effect from proteins over and above that of the Na content of the solns. However, when the vol. of saline admd. at each injn. was increased 50% above that of serum, similar survivals were observed in both saline- and serum-treated animals.