Trans Sodium Crocetinte: Novel Treatment for Hemorrhagic Shock

Whole-body oxygen consumption is decreased after hemorrhage. Typical methods for increasing oxygen consumption have involved increasing the blood oxygen concentration using enriched oxygen gases, hemoglobins and fluorocarbon compounds; however, clinical trials involving these have not been totally successful. Increasing the oxygen concentration increases its diffusion rate through blood plasma; however, an alternative method would be to increase the diffusion coefficient of oxygen itself. This has been shown to be possible using a novel compound, trans sodium crocetinate (TSC) TSC also increases oxygen consumption in hemorrhaged rats and results in an increased survival rate. TSC has also been shown to increase blood pressure and to reduce the acidosis that forms with hypoxia and to reduce damage to liver and kidney.