Six Percent Dextran 70

Dextran is available as dextran 40 or dextran 70. The numbers 40 and 70 refer to the average molecular mass of the molecules in the solution. The mean molecular weight of dextran 40 is about 40,000 daltons (40 kd), and the mean molecular mass of dextran 70 is about 70,000 daltons (70 kd). The dextran solutions are water-soluble glucose polymers synthesized by certain bacteria from sucrose. Both dextran solutions are ultimately degraded enzymatically to glucose. A colloid solution of 6% dextran 70 is administered for the same indications as 5% albumin. Dextran 40 is used in vascular surgery to prevent thrombosis and is rarely used as a volume expander.

Side effects include anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reactions in about 1 in every 3300 administrations, increased bleeding time caused by decreased platelet adhesiveness (at doses of 20 mL/kg/24 hours), rouleaux formation (i.e., interfering with crossmatching of blood), and rare cases of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema thought to be a direct toxic effect on pulmonary capillaries after intravascular absorption.^{[122] [123]}