Dextran 70
Also known as: Gentran 70, Macrodex, RescueFlow, Hyskon, Lomodex 70, Longasteril 70, Fisiodex 70
> **Emergency Use Only:** Dextran 70 is an emergency hospital medication used to treat severe shock and life-threatening low blood pressure. * **How it works:** It acts like a sponge inside your pet's blood vessels, pulling fluid in and holding it there to quickly stabilize their blood pressure and circulation. * **Monitoring:** Because it is given intravenously in critical situations, your veterinary team will closely monitor your pet's heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure to ensure they are responding well and not receiving too much fluid. * **Side Effects:** Side effects are rare but can include mild changes in blood clotting or, very rarely, allergic reactions. Your veterinarian will monitor for these during treatment.
Dosage must be set by your veterinarian for your specific pet. Never give human medication or another pet’s prescription without veterinary guidance.
What it is used for
- Small volume resuscitation (hypovolemic shock, head injury, pulmonary contusions, oliguric renal failure)
- Volume expansion / Augment colloid oncotic pressure
- Dehydration secondary to diarrhea (Calves)
- Small volume resuscitation (hypovolemic shock, head injury, pulmonary contusions, oliguric renal failure)
- Volume expansion / Augment colloid oncotic pressure
How it is given
Possible side effects
- Increased bleeding times (decreased von Willebrand's factor and factor VIII activity)
- Anaphylactoid reactions (rare in dogs, but higher incidence than hetastarch)
- Acute renal failure (rare)
- Volume overload / circulatory overload
- Gastrointestinal effects (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain - reported in humans)
Cautions & contraindications
- Preexisting severe coagulopathies
- Severe heart failure (due to risk of circulatory overload)
- Severe renal failure (oliguric/anuric, unless closely monitored)
- Intramuscular (IM) administration
- > **Critical Warnings:** > * **Circulatory Overload:** Use with extreme caution in patients susceptible to volume overload (e.g., severe cardiac or renal disease). > * **Coagulation:** Can interfere with platelet function. Use cautiously in patients with thrombocytopenia. > * **Sodium Load:** A 500 mL bag of 6% dextran 70 in normal saline contains 77 mEq of sodium. Use cautiously in patients requiring strict sodium restriction. **Laboratory Interferences:** * **Cross-matching:** May interfere with blood cross-matching by causing red blood cell cross-linking (rouleaux formation). Washing cells with isotonic saline can negate this. * **Blood Glucose:** Levels may falsely increase as dextran is degraded into glucose. * **Bilirubin:** May cause falsely elevated bilirubin levels (mechanism unknown).
Frequently asked questions
What is Dextran 70 used for in pets?
> **Emergency Use Only:** Dextran 70 is an emergency hospital medication used to treat severe shock and life-threatening low blood pressure. * **How it works:** It acts like a sponge inside your pet's blood vessels, pulling fluid in and holding it there to quickly stabilize their blood pressure and circulation. * **Monitoring:** Because it is given intravenously in critical situations, your veterinary team will closely monitor your pet's heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure to ensure they are responding well and not receiving too much fluid. * **Side Effects:** Side effects are rare but can include mild changes in blood clotting or, very rarely, allergic reactions. Your veterinarian will monitor for these during treatment.
Is Dextran 70 safe for my pet?
Dosage must be set by your veterinarian for your specific pet. Never give human medication or another pet’s prescription without veterinary guidance.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If your pet is unwell, please consult a veterinarian.
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