Plasma volume changes accompanying reactions to infusions of blood or plasma

Abstract

Splenectomized dogs were infused serially with 5–10 cc/kg of blood or plasma. There was a high incidence of reactions to the homologous plasma or blood, marked by a fall in arterial pressure, urticaria, cutaneous edema, a prolonged bleeding time, labored respiration and some fatalities. The pressure fall was not seen in anesthetized dogs. The urticaria and skin edema were largely prevented by injections of antihistaminic drugs, but the other reactions were not reduced. In the majority of dogs given homologous blood, the hematocrit showed a steep rise, indicating a disappearance of plasma. The reduced plasma volume was confirmed by T-1824 injections, although the agreement between hematocrit change and plasma volume change by dye was not always quantitative. These changes were not clearly affected by the antihistaminic drugs. However, when dogs were given their own (autologous) plasma, the blood volume increase as measured by dye or calculated from hematocrit change was the same as that expected from the known amount of plasma transfused, corrected for ultrafiltrate shifts. The infusion reactions were also greatly curtailed.