The Use of Desiccated Plasma

Of the many problems in the field of surgery today, none are of more vital interest than the closely correlated problems of shock, fluid balance, blood volume and plasma proteins. The importance of this aspect of surgery has been emphasized by the present war and an urgent impetus imparted to its study. In the belief that plasma proteins are the key to these surgical problems, this report of the results obtained by the operation of a routine desiccated plasma service is given. This service, operated in conjunction with the Baylor University blood bank during the last sixteen months, has made plasma of any desired concentration or amount available day or night in a manner comparable to ordinary intravenous fluids. Our purpose in this paper in describing this service and its results is to point out the advantages and practicability of supplying concentrated plasma, prepared by redissolving the dry lyophilic form