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Polycythemia and Hyperviscosity

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Neonatology

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Abstract

The term hyperviscosity cannot be understood without some knowledge of how blood viscosity is defined and measured. Viscosity (V) is a flow property defined as resistance (R) to the movement of blood: R = VZ, where Z is the resistance resulting from the vessel geometry [1]. Blood viscosity is usually measured in flow devices with fixed geometry (e.g., in a rotational viscometer with a defined gap or in a tube viscometer with defined tube diameter and length). In these devices, the blood flow resistance increases linearly with the blood viscosity, and blood flow resistance is measured as pressure (P) or force required to achieve a defined blood flow (F) in the device (V ≈ R = P/F). Blood viscosity decreases with increasing shear forces due to red blood cell (RBC) aggregation at low shear rates and ellipsoidal deformation of RBCs at high shear. In tube viscometers with diameters below 300 μ, blood viscosity decreases linearly with decreasing tube diameter. Without this so called Fahraus-Lindqvist effect, blood with a hematocrit of 50% and higher could probably not pass through arterioles and capillaries with diameters below 50 µm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Otwin Linderkamp

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Neonatology, University of Siena General Hospital S. Maria alle Scotte Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Siena, Italy

    Giuseppe Buonocore (Professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Head of School of Pediatrics) (Professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Head of School of Pediatrics)

  2. University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Rodolfo Bracci (Formerly Professor of Pediatrics and Head of Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine) (Formerly Professor of Pediatrics and Head of Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine)

  3. University of Liverpool, UK

    Michael Weindling (Professor of Perinatal Medicine, Director of Postgraduate Research, Head of School of Paediatrics Mersey Deanery) (Professor of Perinatal Medicine, Director of Postgraduate Research, Head of School of Paediatrics Mersey Deanery)

  4. Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Institute of Translational Medicine, Liverpool, UK

    Michael Weindling (Professor of Perinatal Medicine, Director of Postgraduate Research, Head of School of Paediatrics Mersey Deanery) (Professor of Perinatal Medicine, Director of Postgraduate Research, Head of School of Paediatrics Mersey Deanery)

  5. Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK

    Michael Weindling (Professor of Perinatal Medicine, Director of Postgraduate Research, Head of School of Paediatrics Mersey Deanery) (Professor of Perinatal Medicine, Director of Postgraduate Research, Head of School of Paediatrics Mersey Deanery)

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Italia

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Linderkamp, O. (2012). Polycythemia and Hyperviscosity. In: Buonocore, G., Bracci, R., Weindling, M. (eds) Neonatology. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1405-3_79

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1405-3_79

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-1404-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-1405-3

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