Application of pulsed arterial resuscitation in a rabbit model of hemorrhagic shock

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic shock is characterized by tissue hypoperfusion caused by a sharp reduction in the effective circulating volume of blood. The key to successful resuscitation lies in eliminating the shock as soon as possible while simultaneously restoring blood perfusion to vital organs. We present the applicability of pulsed arterial blood reinfusion for resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock. METHODS: Sixty rabbits were randomly assigned to resuscitation and control groups. A rabbit hemorrhagic shock model was developed by bloodletting from the carotid artery. The dynamic changes in blood pressure, urine output, blood lactate, and other indicators were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure, and urine output were significantly higher in the resuscitation group at 60 min (MAP: 83.67 +/- 3.90 vs. 38.19 +/- 3.50 mmHg, p<0.001; pulse difference: 16.46 +/- 2.21 vs. 10.27 +/- 2.99 mmHg, p<0.001; urine output: 3.68 +/- 0.74 vs. 0.10 +/- 0.05 mL.kg(-1).min(-1), p<0.001), whereas the serum lactate level was significantly lower (3.82 +/- 0.50 vs. 6.49 +/- 0.61 mmol/L, p<0.001). In addition, the resuscitation group had a significantly higher lactate clearance rate (30 min: 0.26%+/- 0.11% vs. 0.25%+/- 0.14%, p<0.001; 60 min: 0.30%+/- 0.09% vs. 0.67%+/- 0.26%, p<0.001) than the control group. CONCLUSION: Pulsed arterial resuscitation might be useful for emergency treatment of hemorrhagic shock.