Abstract Purpose:

To use blood lactate (BL) as an end-point metabolic marker for the begin resuscitation of volume replacement in experimental hemorrhagic shock.

Methods:

Group I (n=7) was not bled (Control). Animals in Group II (n=7) were bled to a MAP of 30mmHg in thirty minutes. Hemodynamic and metabolic data were recorded at Baseline, at 30, 60 and 120 minutes after Baseline. The animals were intubated in spontaneous breathing (FIO2=0.21) with halothane.

Results:

Group I all survived. In Group II all died; no mortality occurred before a BL<10mM/L. Beyond the end-point all animals exhibited severe acidemia, hyperventilation and clinical signs of shock. Without treatment all animals died within 70.43±24.51 min of hypotension shortly after reaching an average level of BL 17.01±3.20mM/L.

Conclusions:

Swine's breathing room air spontaneously in hemorrhagic shock not treated a blood lactate over 10mM/L results fatal. The predictable outcome of this shock model is expected to produce consistent information based on possible different metabolic and hemodynamic patterns as far as the type of fluid and the timing of resuscitation in near fatal hemorrhagic shock.