SALINE iNKUSlOl^ 5l'<' 



Transfusion 



Transfusion is the transfer, directly or indirectly, of blood from one 

 living animal to another. In this process the blood must be obtained from 

 an animal of the same species as the patient. Transfusion has been dis- 

 carded m the past because of the dangers of sepsis, embolism, destruction 

 of the infused blood corpuscles and nephritis. Within the last few years 

 direct transfusion has been widely done in human surgery and without 

 danger. The simplest form of transfusion consists in bleeding the donor 

 through a large sterile needle (introduced into a vein), into a sterile glass 

 vessel, gradually adding 2 per cent, solution of sodium citrate, while con- 

 tinually stirring the mixture with a glass rod to prevent clotting. At 

 least 6 ounces of citrate solution should be used to the pint of blood. The 

 mixture of citrate solution and blood should be used warm and injected 

 slowly by the use of a sterile funnel connected with rubber tube to a 

 needle, which is introduced into the vein of the recipient. 



The chief dangers of transfusion of blood are embolism and hemo- 

 lysis. The citrate solution prevents the first (by preventing clotting), and 

 hemolysis may be avoided by mixing 5 parts of the serum of the recipient 

 with 1 part of undiluted blood of the donor (Hare) in the excavation 

 of a drop culture slide, oil being placed around it to prevent drying. 



If the two bloods be incompatible the red cells of the donor will be 

 clumped and another donor will have to be found. Clumping or agglu- 

 tination of the red cells of the donor by the serum of the recipient, is 

 often followed by hemolysis of the patient's blood — if transfusion of such 

 incompatible blood is done. The writer has, however, performed direct 

 transfusion on many dogs without ill effects where no tests for compati- 

 bility of blood had been made. 



Another simple method is by direct transfusion from vein of donor 

 to vein of recipient by paraffine coated glass tubes. 



Direct transfusion of blood is life saving in cases of profuse hemor- 

 rhage. It is also used with success in shock or collapse from any cause, 

 and in severe anemias and chronic infections. 



The injection of warm, normal salt solution (0.9 of 1 per cent.) 

 has been found to fill many of the indications for transfusion of blood, 

 and yet is free from the difficulties besetting the latter. 



Saline Infusion. 



Saline infusions are intended to replace the normal blood plasma, 

 and, therefore, should contain approximately the amount of sodium chlo- 

 ride — 0.9 of 1 per cent. — contained in this fluid. The solutions should 

 be filtered and boiled previous to their use, when this is possible, and 

 are made by adding a teaspoonful (69 gr.) of sodium chloride to the pint 

 of sterile water, which is used at a temperature of usually 103° to 115° 

 F., according to the mode of introduction and circumstances. The injec- 

 tion of a too dilute saline solution will cause the red blood cells to swell 

 and part with their hemoglobin and will lead to great sweating and diure- 

 sis in the effort of nature to restore the plasma to its proper composition. 

 If the solution is too strong (hypertonic) it will draw water from the 



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