New Bloods

Trauma Talk
with Will Chapleau
01/19/2006
For years, the debate has raged as to how we should resuscitate trauma patients. While we traditionally ran large volumes of IV fluid into patients, many argued there was no evidence that patients benefited from the infusions. Several studies supported the argument that, at least in urban centers, patient outcomes didn’t seem to be affected by volume infusions. Further, it’s argued that large volumes of fluid increase the rate of blood loss and cause severe depletion of red blood cells even as the volume is supported.
http://www.jems.com/Columnists/traumatalk/articles/15442/

One of my instructors invited students and announced they were doing research for an oxygen carrying solution which could be carried on an ambulance to be utilized by paramedics.
I wanted to be on board with that program so bad, but work is in the way.
I’d like to see research which argues that IV fluids do not benefit the patient at all. What is their reasoning? The heart needs something to pump and if there’s the same amount of fluid to pump, but fewer blood cells, at least those blood cells are being circulated!

KU is one of the places in the country currently doing a study using “fake blood” on trauma patients. It caused a bit of an uproar in the community initially, but things have quieted down and I haven’t heard anything about it in several months. I’ll be very interested to see the results of that study. It could really make a significant difference for a lot of people down the line…
Jane