Effect of time and volume of blood overtransfused on the loss of plasma and protein in the dog

¹ Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Dental Branch and Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

The effects of the duration of a transfusion and the volume of blood transfused on the loss of plasma volume and protein was investigated in the dog. Plasma volume was measured with radioactive I¹³¹-tagged albumin and plasma protein by the falling drop method. When dogs are transfused above their initial blood volume with 10 cc/kg of blood in a mean of 10 minutes there is no significant loss of plasma volume or protein, whereas if the same volume is given in 20 minutes there is a significant loss of both. An initial transfusion of 20 cc/kg would appear to be a physiologic transition point for the loss of plasma volume and protein compared to initial transfusions of 10, 30, 40 or 50 cc/kg.