Anesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Transfusion of stored autologous blood does not alter reactive hyperemia index in healthy volunteers.
Transfusion of human blood stored for more than 2 weeks is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. During storage, packed erythrocytes progressively release hemoglobin, which avidly binds nitric oxide. We hypothesized that the nitric oxide mediated hyperemic response after ischemia would be reduced after transfusion of packed erythrocytes stored for 40 days. ⋯ Transfusion of autologous packed erythrocytes stored for 40 days is associated with increased hemolysis, an unchanged reactive hyperemia index, and increased concentrations of plasma nitrite.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Aversive and reinforcing opioid effects: a pharmacogenomic twin study.
The clinical utility of opioids is limited by adverse drug effects including respiratory depression, sedation, nausea, and pruritus. In addition, abuse of prescription opioids is problematic. Gaining a better understanding of the genetic and environmental mechanisms contributing to an individual's susceptibility to adverse opioid effects is essential to identify patients at risk. ⋯ This study demonstrates that large-scale efforts to collect quantitative and well-defined opioid response data are not only feasible but also produce data that are suitable for genetic analysis. Genetic, environmental, and demographic factors work together to control adverse and reinforcing opioid responses, but contribute differently to specific responses.