title: Venepuncture causes rapid rise in plasma ACTH.
abstract: Serum cortisol and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) levels were measured on nine sleeping volunteers at midnight, before and after the stress of being woken and exposed to a single standard venepuncture. In six volunteers, plasma ACTH levels were raised within 90 seconds of venepuncture, while it remained undetectable in the other three. Cortisol levels began to rise within 4 minutes. ACTH and cortisol levels may be greatly altered by the stress of venesection. Plasma ACTH measured after a difficult venesection in a subject with poor venous access may be misleading.
authors.affiliation: Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meeran
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hattersley
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mould
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bloom
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001815:Bloodletting / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007700:Kinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone