Tim Henrich (University of West Texas), Personal communication, (September 2, 1999)

Perfluorocarbon-Based Blood Substitute is used during surgery like the advertisement says. A little research in the Hematology Dept. at our Medical School yields the following preliminary findings.

1. It is used during surgery at $20,000.00 a unit.
2. It must be administered intravenously
3. It lasts a maximum of 5 hours and if the surgery is longer you are talking about more than $20,000.00.
4. The Resident did not know if its levels could be tested for in the blood because the amount going in must be rigidly controlled during surgery.
5. It destroys the kidneys and it is so dangerous that they only use it under urgent circumstances. It can cause immediate renal (Kidney) dysfunction
6. It destroys the liver.
7. It only works when the patient is desaturated. That means when less than 80% of the Hemoglobin's oxygen binding sights occupied the drug will work. The other case is when the fraction of inspired oxygen is reduced. She did not go into details on this but was amused by the thought of using this toxic chemical to improve athletic performance.
8. We need more information but I think the same conclusions will turn up. There are similar drugs but all have the same flurocarbon ring structure.

This information came from the Chief Resident of the Hematology Department at our Medical School. I believe this information should be conveyed to anyone concerned so our swimmers do not believe their competitors have a physiological advantage over them.

Psychology goes a long way. Remember our women's sprint relay in 1976? Beat all those DDR monstrosities because Jack convinced them they could beat them and that the steroids did not give that big of an advantage. If going into the OL our swimmers believe the others have this advantage it could have a negative result.

Return to Table of Contents for this issue.