Some IV could hurt critically ill patients

HEIDELBERG, Germany, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- German researchers suggest some infusion solutions in a common intravenous treatment may cause life-threatening inflammation.

The study, published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, found a common intravenous treatment used to boost blood pressure in critical patients contains substances called "advanced glycation end products."

This reaction among various proteins occurring after the fluid has been formulated for use is called "post-translational modification."

The researchers suggest screening infusion solutions for post-translational protein modifications and then removing the compounds.

"Improving the quality of infusion solutions by accounting for post-translational modification of proteins could lead to better clinical outcomes for patients, such as those treated solutions containing albumin," study co-author Angelika Bierhaus of the University of Heidelberg in Germany said in a statement.

Bierhaus and colleagues injected advanced glycation end products detected in several currently available albumin infusion solutions into mice. The mice receiving the high levels of advanced glycation end products experienced significantly higher inflammation and death rates than the mice receiving low levels.