Summary: The use of colloids is more commonly utilized in veterinary medicine as a means of increasing colloid osmotic pressure (COP). Rarely, there are complications associated with the use of colloids, including volume overload and effects on coagulation (hypocoagulability). This veterinary podcast reviews the effects of the synthetic colloid hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 (Voluven) on coagulation and reiterates how clinical patients receiving synthetic colloids should be monitored for changes in their coagulation profiles and treated accordingly.
