Effects of anesthesia on a model of uncontrolled hemorrhage in rats

Abstract

An excessive rate of blood loss due to the use of droperidol-ketamine anesthesia renders this model inappropriate for investigation of uncontrolled hemorrhage. The response of rats under pentobarbital anesthesia more closely approximates that of unanesthetized rats. However, the higher mortality rate despite the lesser hemorrhage observed in the latter group seems to indicate the existence of other factors (in addition to blood loss) that may contribute to the early death of these animals.