Blood volume and hemoglobin after spinal cord injury.

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in total blood volume and hemoglobin mass between spinal cord-injured and able-bodied individuals. Total blood volumes of 13 able-bodied and 10 spinal cord-injured individuals (lesion >T4) were determined using the carbon monoxide method. The reproducibility of the total blood volume determination in our setting and the effect of increased physical activity were assessed. Comparison of groups showed a significantly higher hemoglobin mass in able-bodied compared with spinal cord-injured individuals. The total blood volume expressed per kilogram of body mass in able-bodied individuals was significantly greater than in spinal cord-injured individuals. These results suggest that total blood volume and hemoglobin mass are decreased in spinal cord-injured individuals with a lesion above T4, which may be related to their inactive lifestyle, because total blood volume increased with increased physical activity in these subjects.