N2O - research tips?

[acab]

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I got a chance to analyze blood from pts who underwent elective surgery (all sorts) with general anesthesia - 1/2 got N20 and 1/2 didn't. The blood samples were taken 1 wk prior and then 4 wks after surgery. Any idea on what I can analyze in the samples?

Someone suggested cytokines, but these are typically measured pre-, intra- and postop and controlled for the type of surgery. I think samples from 4 wks post surgery would not show any abnormalities in cytokines.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I would love to get involved in a project like this.

 

[jetproppilot]

I got a chance to analyze blood from pts who underwent elective surgery (all sorts) with general anesthesia - 1/2 got N20 and 1/2 didn't. The blood samples were taken 1 wk prior and then 4 wks after surgery. Any idea on what I can analyze in the samples?

Someone suggested cytokines, but these are typically measured pre-, intra- and postop and controlled for the type of surgery. I think samples from 4 wks post surgery would not show any abnormalities in cytokines.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I would love to get involved in a project like this.

Folate.

 

[InductionAgent]

Much of the bad press about N2O these days is related to its oxidation of B12 to an inactive form. Testing for different forms of B12 would be a start. Levels of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid could increase if there were any significant clinical effect. Also, a simple CBC to screen for a megaloblastic anemia or pancytopenia could show bone marrow manifestations. Obviously, screening for anemia could be confounded by surgical blood loss. However, a patient recovering from acute blood loss would be more likely to have an anemia that is normo- to microcytic on account of the secondary iron deficiency.

 

[acab]

Thanks for the replies.

I forgot to mention that folate, B12 and its metabolites were already analyzed, and the PI is letting me come up with a different project to use up the remainder of the blood samples.

 

[jetproppilot]

Thanks for the replies.

I forgot to mention that folate, B12 and its metabolites were already analyzed, and the PI is letting me come up with a different project to use up the remainder of the blood samples.

How about some immune system component.....

 

[joshmir]

I believe there was once concern about how cell division is effected, so in anesthesia for in vitro fertilization some people said to avoid it.

you could look at something that may indirectly relate to this/affect the physiology in women of childbearing age.

 

[VentdependenT]

catecholamines?

 

[fakin' the funk]

I got a chance to analyze blood from pts who underwent elective surgery (all sorts) with general anesthesia - 1/2 got N20 and 1/2 didn't. The blood samples were taken 1 wk prior and then 4 wks after surgery. Any idea on what I can analyze in the samples?

Someone suggested cytokines, but these are typically measured pre-, intra- and postop and controlled for the type of surgery. I think samples from 4 wks post surgery would not show any abnormalities in cytokines.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I would love to get involved in a project like this.

No offense, but this is a terrible way to do research, i.e. analyzing samples post-hoc. Even if you do develop a proper hypothesis before analyzing the samples, you have no idea how your results could be biased because the samples were not collected to pursue that particular hypothesis.

This editorial from Anesthesiology says it better than I can: http://anesthesiology.org/pt/pt-core/template-journal/anes/media/clinicalresearch.pdf