Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) has been shown to protect erythrocytes from freeze-thaw damage when these cells are frozen rapidly in liquid nitrogen and stored in the vapor phase at 145” C (8, 14). This alkylated starch is a product of the reaction of ethylene oxide and amylopect,in (7). The viscosity and molecular weight of the material is adjusted by acid hydrolysis. The product used in this study...

BACKGROUND Predicting fluid responsiveness remains a difficult question in hemodynamically unstable patients. The author's objective was to test whether noninvasive assessment by transthoracic echocardiography of subaortic velocity time index (VTI) variation after a low volume of fluid infusion (100 ml hydroxyethyl starch) can predict fluid responsiveness. METHODS Thirty-nine critically ill v...

BACKGROUND The effect of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can be modulated by fluid injection. PURPOSE To evaluate the potential of different fluids to modulate the effect of bipolar RFA in an ex-vivo liver model. MATERIAL AND METHODS A bipolar RFA system with an internally cooled needle-shaped applicator (20-mm active tip) was used to induce coagulation lesions in ex-vivo porcine liver. Prior...

BACKGROUND Hydroxyethyl starch (HES), a commonly used resuscitation fluid, has the property to induce hyperglycemia as it contains large ethyl starch, which can be metabolized to produce glucose. We evaluated the effect of 6% HES-130 on the blood glucose levels in non-diabetic patients undergoing surgery under spinal anesthesia. METHODS Patients scheduled to undergo elective lower limb surger...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We evaluated isovolumic hemodilution with hydroxyethyl starch 200/0.5 in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. This compound avoids the unfavorable viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation abnormalities of low molecular weight dextran during administration over a period of several days. METHODS Sprague-Dawley rats, anesthetized with 0.5-1% halothane and 70% N2O, were sub...