Computers in biology and medicine
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Injuries involving massive blood loss, such as burns, combat wounds, and injuries resulting from car accidents, require fluid resuscitation. The risk involved in fluid therapy is overloading of the circulation, resulting in pulmonary edema which can lead to death. The risk of pulmonary edema may be eliminated by proper determination of maximal infusion volume and rate. ⋯ The results indicate that edema is not the only possible adverse effect of overloading the cardiovascular system with fluid. The simulation demonstrated that in certain cases the heart's oxygen balance can become negative. Limiting the rate of infusion can reduce this risk.