Trauma is accompanied by a decrease in red blood cell (RBC) deformability, which may manifest itself earlier than secondary septic complications. The mechanisms of this phenomenon are not clear. The aim of this study is to determine when the alterations of RBC shape appear in trauma patients.
Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103-2714, USA. tberezina@hotmail.com