Effect of Subcutaneous Fluids With Hyaluronidase on Mortality in Laboratory Animals Subjected to Hemorrhagic and Mechanical Trauma

¹ From the Department of Biochemistry, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D. C.

Physiologic saline (0.9%) with and without added hyaluronidase and dextran in saline with added hyaluronidase, administered subcutaneously, have been studied in various types of trauma. Saline with added hyaluronidase given in this manner proved to be effective in decreasing mortality. In hemorrhagic hypotensive trauma, mortality was reduced: in dogs, from 68%, untreated, to 29%, treated; in mice, from 82% to 21%. In tumbling trauma, mortality in rats was reduced from 70%, untreated, to 47% when posttreated and 49% when pretreated. In tourniquet trauma, mortality was reduced from 68%, untreated, to 45%. In a small series of goats mortality was reduced from 80% to 30%.