Comparison of blood rheological changes in the microcirculation during experimental hemorrhagic and traumatic shock

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was the analysis of the specific hemorheological disorders during the middle stages of experimental traumatic and hemorrhagic shock. METHODS: The following hemorheological properties were investigated: Red Blood Cell (RBC) aggregability, their deformability, and systemic hematocrit. The RBC aggregability was assessed by using the "Georgian technique". The RBC deformability was determined with the nuclepore membrane filter method of Reid. The hematocrit was measured by blood centrifugation. The results obtained were treated statistically by using the "Two sample T-test". RESULTS: We found that in the animals with traumatic shock the erythrocyte aggregability index increased by mean 181%, while in the hemorrhagic group this index on contrary decreased by mean 68% as compared to control group; The RBC deformability underwent a significant decrease during both traumatic and hemorrhagic shock: by a mean of 52% during the first and 62% during the second one. The systemic hematocrit decreased by a mean of 45% during the traumatic shock and by a mean of 50% during the hemorrhagic shock. CONCLUSION: The data obtained provide evidence that the hemorheological disorders are among the most significant microcirculatory disturbances in the pathogenesis of both the traumatic and the hemorrhagic shock.