J Trauma
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Case Reports Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Randomized trial of hydroxyethyl starch versus gelatine for trauma resuscitation.
Previous studies have demonstrated the rapid increase in systemic capillary permeability after blunt trauma and its association with poor outcome. There are theoretical advantages in resuscitation with colloid fluids, which are well retained in the vascular compartment during times of capillary leak. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of posttrauma resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starch (HES) (molecular mass, 250 kDa) or gelatine (molecular mass, 30 kDa), the hypothesis being that HES would reduce capillary leak. ⋯ The results suggest that compared with gelatine, resuscitation with HES reduces posttrauma capillary leak.