Naloxone does not prevent death after rapid hemorrhage in swine

Despite the array of hemorrhage models, animal species and experimental designs, it seems clear that naloxone with or without volume replacement has no place in the treatment of rapidly exsanguinating traumatized patients. In this situation, the adrenergic hemodynamic effects, indirectly due to naloxone, further decrease tissue perfusion leading to a deleterious outcome. We suggest that the membrane stabilizing effects rather than the hemodynamic effects of naloxone should be pursued in the treatment of low perfusion states with longer survival times than rapid hemorrhage, such as septic and cardiogenic shock.