Myocardial protection: a comparison of cold blood and cold crystalloid cardioplegia

• Published in: The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery Vol. 87; no. 4; pp. 509 - 516
• Main Authors: Iverson, LI, Young, JN, Ennix, CL, Jr, Ecker, RR, Moretti, RL, Lee, J, Hayes, RL, Farrar, MP, May, RD, Masterson, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA AATS/WTSA 01.04.1984; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Anesthesia; Anesthesia depending on type of surgery; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Cardiac Output - drug effects; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cold Temperature; Coronary Artery Bypass; Creatine Kinase - blood; Female; Heart Arrest, Induced - methods; Hemodynamics; Humans; Isoenzymes - blood; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myocardium - enzymology; Potassium - therapeutic use; Potassium Compounds; Random Allocation; Stroke Volume - drug effects; Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. Cardiopulmonary bypass; Time Factors; Human; Prevention; Cardioplegic solution; Cardiac performance; Ischemia; Crystalloid solution; Myocardium; Anesthesia; Induced cardiocirculatory arrest; Blood
• ISSN: 0022-5223; 1097-685X
• DOI: 10.1016/s0022-5223(19)37349-0

Two hundred seven consecutive patients were randomized into four groups based on left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and subsequently into groups receiving crystalloid cardioplegia or blood cardioplegia. Hemodynamic data and enzymatic evidence of myocardial ischemia were examined postoperatively. We found slight but significant improvement in the blood cardioplegia group regarding left ventricular stroke work index. Similarly, the levels of creatine kinase and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase were slightly but significantly better with blood cardioplegia. We believe that the technique of blood cardioplegia offers a slight but statistically significant advantage.