Fluid therapy in hemorrhagic shock: Experimental evaluation

Abstract A model for the production of hemorrhagic shock in the rat was found to offer advantages over canine models. The ready availability of uniform inexpensive animals permitted evaluation of fluid therapy for hypovolemia. After 120 min of hypovolemia, reinfusion of the shed blood or infusion of Ringer's lactate or normal saline in a volume equal to three times the volume of the shed blood reduced mortality equally. The addition of 5% dextrose to Ringer's lactate produced a deleterious effect probably due to increased osmolarity.