Mixed venous oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (SvO2) and mixed venous oxygen tension (PvO2) may reflect the overall balance between oxygen consumption and delivery. Because of the potential value of monitoring SvO2 and PvO2 as indications of the state of tissue oxygenation, the aim of this study was to determine, during normoxic acute isovolemic hemodilution in pigs, the critical PvO2, critical SvO2, and critical oxygen extraction ratio (ER) at which oxygen uptake starts to decline during further induced hemodilution. During stepwise induced isovolemic hemodilution, a gradual decline in SvO2 and PvO2 was observed in all animals. The mean +/- SD of the critical PvO2 of six animals was 32.3 +/- 3.1 mm Hg. The mean +/- SD of the critical SvO2 was 44.2% +/- 7.9%. The ER increased gradually. At an ER of 0.57 +/- 0.08, oxygen uptake started to decline. A significant correlation was found between changes in SvO2 and changes in ER. These degrees of hemodilution were accompanied by an increase in cardiac index, pulmonary wedge pressure, heart rate, and left ventricular stroke work index. Only a slight decrease in systemic vascular resistance was observed. We conclude that measurements of PvO2 and SvO2 can be used as indicators of the critical point of hemodilution and that the SvO2 during hemodilution reflects the overall balance between oxygen uptake and oxygen delivery, confirmed by the strong correlation found between SvO2 and oxygen extraction ratio.

The effects of stepwise isovolemic hemodilution on systemic and regional hemodynamics, oxygen flux, and circulating catecholamines were studied in six pigs anesthetized with midazolam and fentanyl. Reduction of the hematocrit from 28 to 9% resulted in doubling of the cardiac output, mainly due to an increase in stroke volume. Regional blood flows, measured using the radioactive microsphere technique, showed an increase in blood flow to all organs except liver (hepatic artery fraction) and adrenals, with a redistribution of cardiac output in favor of heart and brain (increase in blood flow 420 and 170%, respectively). Oxygen flux to most organs did not decrease until hematocrit decreased to 9%, while total body oxygen consumption was well maintained. Left ventricular oxygen consumption increased, but because left ventricular blood flow also increased, left ventricular extraction ratio did not increase. Circulating catecholamines did not play any role in these regulatory mechanisms.

16 patients underwent acute hypervolaemic haemodilution with dextran 40 and Ringers lactate, to see whether this procedure could avoid preoperative blood transfusion. Packed cell volume (PCV) and oxygen extraction decreased, and cardiac index and pulmonary wedge pressure increased, although end-systolic area was unchanged. PCV was not significantly different between patients who lost less than or greater than 20% of their initial blood volume. This preoperative manoeuvre, which reduces loss of red blood cells, allowed major surgery to be completed safely without blood transfusion.

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