A new preparation for the study of experimental shock from massive wounds. I. Standardization

1. 1. A new experimental preparation for the study of massive soft tissue trauma is described. Although we recognize that this preparation incorporates more variables than the usual experimental shock preparation, it is felt that there are distinct advantages inherent in its similarity to battlefield or civilian mechanical traumatic injuries. 2. 2. Survival studies have been completely divorced from physiologic studies, and the reasons for this separation have been discussed. 3. 3. The lack of demonstrable correlation between blood loss and survival time in the injured animal suggests that death is not entirely due to exsanguination. 4. 4. That a bacterial factor may be involved in some way in the death of the traumatized animals is suggested by the fact that observance of aseptic techniques before and after injury significantly prolonged mean survival.