Infants' blood volume in a controlled trial of placental transfusion at preterm delivery.

Objective: To investigate whether it was possible to promote placental blood transfer to infants at preterm delivery by (1) delaying cord clamping, (2) holding the infant below the placenta, and (3) administering an oxytocic agent to the mother, we measured the infants' blood volumes.

Design: Randomized study.

Methods: Forty-six preterm infants (gestational age: 24[0/7] to 32[6/7] weeks) were assigned randomly to either placental blood transfer promotion (delayed cord clamping [DCC] group, ie, > or =30 seconds from moment of delivery) or early cord clamping (ECC) with conventional management (ECC group).

Is it possible to predict the blood volume of a sick preterm infant?

Objective: To investigate the relation between the measured intravascular blood volume (BV) and current methods of indirectly assessing BV status in sick preterm infants on the first day of life.

Methods: Thirty eight preterm infants of gestation 24-32 weeks (median 30) and weight 480-2060 g (median 1220) were studied. Red cell volume was measured by the fetal haemoglobin dilution method in six infants and by the biotin labelled autologous red cell dilution method in the remaining 32.

Clinically practical blood volume assessment with fluorescein-labeled HES.

Background: Standard techniques for measuring blood volume (BV) entail administering radioactivity and human albumin. This is laborious, expensive, and impractical in acute settings. An alternative method suitable for widespread routine application was assessed.

Measuring blood volume with fluorescent-labeled hydroxyethyl starch.

Objectives: To develop and evaluate a method for measuring blood volume using the dilution of a fluorescent-labeled hydroxyethyl starch.

Design: Laboratory and clinical investigation.

Setting: Biochemistry laboratory at the University of Cardiff.

Determination of red cell volume in infants needing blood transfusion.

The total circulating red cell volume (RCV) is a better guide to the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood in the whole circulation than is the haemoglobin concentration (Hb) or haematocrit in a blood sample. Pre- and post-transfusion RCV (and blood volume (BV)) may be determined by flow cytometry by exploiting antigen differences between transfused donor red cells and the recipient's red cells. This paper describes the use of red cell antigen differences of Duffy, Kidd, MN and RhD between donor and recipient.