The Fate of Intravenously Injected Gelatin

The value of specially prepared gelatin solutions for intravenous infusion as a plasma substitute in the treatment of shock caused by trauma or hemorrhage is now well recognized. Previous papers from our laboratory (1 to 3) have reviewed the literature on the subject and have presented findings indicating the effectiveness of such solutions in various types of shock encountered in human subjects in a large general hospital. These reports have demonstrated that intravenously injected gelatin is an effective and innocuous hemodiluting agent not only in patients with shock but in the relatively normal "hospital control" subjects. The present investigation was undertaken to determine the fate of intravenously injected gelatin; the plasma levels achievable; the distribution of gelatin in the blood, tissues, and urine; and the rate of gelatin excretion. An effort was made also to determine to what extent the rate of excretion of gelatin varied with preparations of varying molecular weight.