Intestinal and sublingual microcirculation are more severely compromised in hemodilution than in hemorrhage

This study showed that in the systemic hyperdynamic state of hemodilution, intestinal and sublingual microcirculation were more severely compromised than in hemorrhage. Consequently, the decreased ability to increase O2 extraction could result from microcirculatory shunting, and not from failure in O2 dissociation from Hb. Despite the severe villi hypoperfusion, tissue Pco2 was normal, which could be ascribed to CO2 clearance in the deeper intestinal layers.