New method of tracing blood hemoglobin concentration to hematocrit ratio for monitoring plasma dilution and osmotic origin shifts in blood

Audrius Andrijauskas, Juozas Ivaškevičius

Clinic of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Vilnius University, Lithuania

Key words: blood, hemoglobin, hematocrit, dilution, osmolality.

Summary. Blood hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit are probably the most widely used parameters for outpatient and inpatient examination. In addition to their inherent significance for evaluation of blood viscosity and oxygen carrying capacity, these parameters are traditionally used as tracers of plasma dilution. Blood test derived results are conventionally recorded on multiple pages in patient’s medical records making dynamical investigations tedious and time-consuming. In addition, research results describing plasma dilution by means of hemoglobin or hematocrit are presented in a clinically unpractical way.

A new method, referred to as HBS Graphics (patent pending – USA serial # 60/712809) is introduced for the first time in this article. This method of evaluation of dynamical hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration value deploys interfering parameter shifts for the evaluation of plasma dilution in relation to osmotic dynamics. The HBS Graphics complements two coordinate systems – hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit – with incorporated mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration value specific trends referred to as radiating lines. Isosmotic plasma dilution and erythrocyte volume shifts follow radiating lines, while osmotic shifts induce intertrend shifts. This article also reviews other methods of tracing plasma dilution by means of blood hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit dynamics.

Correspondence to A. Andrijauskas, Clinic of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Vilnius University, Šiltnamių 29, 04130 Vilnius, Lithuania. E-mail: audrius.andrijauskas@mf.vu.lt

Received 19 September 2005, accepted 10 March 2006