Lesley M. Foley1, T. Kevin Hitchens1,2,
John A. Melick3, Nancy T. Ho2, Tusey C. Tam2,
Chien Ho1,2, Patrick M. Kochanek3,4
1Pittsburgh NMR Center for
Biomedical Research, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United
States; 2Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University,
Pittsburgh, PA, United States; 3Safar Center for Resuscitation
Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United
States; 4Departments of Critical Care Medicine, Pediatrics &
Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA,
United States
Using MRI we assessed brain and pulmonary edema and cerebral blood flow (CBF) after resuscitation, from TBI+HS using two conventional solutions, namely the crystalloid Lactated Ringers (LR), the colloid hextend (Hex), and an octomeric recombinant hemoglobin (rHb). MRI assessment of edema using 1/T1 seemed to provide a more sensitive measurement than wet weight/dry weight values. Recombinant hemoglobin whilst increasing CBF initially also produces slightly more edema than either LR or Hex. One possibility is that rapid restoration of CBF in the damaged brain with rHb results in perfusion of severely damage tissue and edema.