TI:  Intravenous Hydrogen Peroxide Infusion as a Means of 
     Extrapulmonary Oxygenation

DT:  1967

AU:  R.L. Fuson, J.A. Kylstra, P. Hochstein, H.A. Saltzman

SO:  Clinical Research, Vol. 15, 1967, P 74

AB:  The intravenous infusion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) merits 
     study as a technique for oxygenating blood since one volume 
     of 3% H2O2 solution upon decomposition will liberate 10 
     volumes of nascent oxygen.  For this reason 3% H2O2 in 
     normal saline was infused at a controlled rate into the 
     right ventricle of 12 pigs whose blood catalase activity was 
     only slightly less than in man.  The rate of infusion was 
     limited by bubble formation leading to pulmonary and 
     systemic embolization.  Increased ambient pressures up to 
     four atmospheres absolute (ATA) in four animals failed to 
     protect from these complications.  In eight pigs studied at 
     one ATA, oxygen consumption (VO2) averaged 10 to 12 
     cc/kg/min, or approximately three times the rate previously 
     reported.  Up to 20% of the animal's oxygen consumption 
     could be supplied by intravenous H2O2 without circulatory 
     and respiratory collapse due to formation of bubbles.  Three 
     of the eight pigs receiving 20% of their VO2 from infused 
     H2O2 for one hour survived and recovered.  All pigs 
     developed severe methemoglobinemia, unresponsive to the 
     infusion of methylene blue.  Curiously, blood from the same 
     pigs mixed in vitro with H2O2 did not form methemoglobin.  
     These experiments suggest that the infusion of H2O2 is a 
     hazardous technique suitable for extrapulmonary blood 
     oxygenation to a limited extent only.