A total of 179 cases with various intracranial disorders was treated by intravenous administration of 10 to 15% glycerol solution in an attempt to con-trol cerebral edema.
Hemoglobinuria was noted in 9 cases as a clinical side-effect.
However, it was transient and no patient developed serious renal function. Liver dysfunction was observed although it could not be attributed directly to the administration of glycerol. Histopathologic assessments were made of the kidneys, liver and spleen in 20 cases of death among the 179 glycerol-treated patients. The microscopic findings in these cases were essentially the same as those observed in cases not receiving glycerol treatmnt.
Thus there was no evidence of significant adverse findings attributable to the administration of glycerol.
The results of the present clinical trials indicate that the dosage and administration procedure employed, i.e. intravenous infusion of 10 to 15% glycerol at a rate of 15-25 gm per hour, is appropriate when viewed from the standpoint of minimizing adverse side-effects.