Cardiovascular effects of various colloidal solutions during major abdominal surgery.

We examined the effects of various colloidal solutions on cardiovascular and oxygen transport variables for 26 patients undergoing gastrectomy under general anesthesia. Fluosol-DA, whole blood, 3% Dextran-40 (Saviosol), and 6% hydroxyethyl starch (hetastarch, Hespan) affected the right side of heart, but only whole blood and Fluosol-DA significantly increased cardiac output and oxygen delivery (DO2). Fluosol-DA may prove useful for critical care of hemorrhagic shock during operation or resuscitation in the immediate postoperative period.