Blood viscosity changes after trauma. Use of dextran-40 in correction of microcirculatory insufficiency.

Trauma causes a definite increase in packed cell viscosity and intravascular cellular aggregation. As a result, total body oxygen consumption decreases markedly. When packed cell viscosity is lowered by infusion of dextran-40, total body oxygen consumption progressively increases to normal values. It does not appear unreasonable to conclude that in traumatized patients, restoration of microcirculatory blood flow is of great importance in reestablishing an effective circulating blood volume and that normalization of blood viscosity after trauma may be of considerable benefit.