Acute Erythrocyte Destruction in Severe Thermal Injury

¹ From the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, San Francisco, California

Measurements of the acute post burn erythrocyte deficit have been made in the rat by means of Fe⁵⁹-labeled red cells. The burns used were moderate to severe flash burns ranging from 8 cal/cm² (minimal third degree) to 16 cal/cm² (severe third degree). Destruction of red cells ranges from 8% at 8 cal/cm² to 25% at 16 cal/cm². These burns are equivalent to those that might be expected to occur in exposed skin as the result of a nuclear detonation. Increasing duration of exposure to the radiant energy source did not affect the extent of red cell destruction. Increasing burn area from 15% to 22% did not affect the red cell deficit. The extent of red cell destruction is greater than that reported for thermal burns of a contact nature. The reasons for this difference have been discussed. It has also been shown that an additional small deficit in red cell volume in excess of that caused by direct heat effects on cells can be expected as the result of a continuing hemolytic process.