An evaluation of plasma volume expanders in the treatment of decompression sickness.

Each of 29 goats was instrumented with an ultrasonic flowmeter transducer around the left common carotid artery and a silastic catheter in the anterior vena cava. Following recovery from the surgery the goats were subjected to a dive protocol designed to elicit symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS). The goats were returned to the surface and, following a 20-min observation period, were either left untreated (controls) or treated with one of five different plasma volume expanders. The plasma volume expanders were evaluated based on their ability to decrease the severity of DCS and the number of arterial bubbles that could be counted. Analysis of the results shows that all of the five plasma volume expanders used appeared to reduce the severity of the signs of DCS and to decrease the number of arterial bubbles detected but that these tendencies were not statistically significantly except for Mannitol and Dextran 40. Animals that did not develop arterial bubbles tended to respond better to fluid therapy than did those that did develop bubbles.