Initial experience with low-potassium cold blood cardioplegia: A clinical comparative study

• Published in: The Annals of thoracic surgery Vol. 53; no. 4; pp. 628 - 634
• Main Authors: Louagie, Yves A.G., Collard, Edith, Gonzalez, Manuel, Gruslin, André, Jamart, Jacques, Delire, Vincent, Mayné, Alain, Buche, Michel, Schoevaerdts, Jean-Claude
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01-04-1992
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - etiology; Blood; Cardioplegic Solutions - administration & dosage; Cardioplegic Solutions - analysis; Cardioplegic Solutions - therapeutic use; Coronary Circulation - physiology; Coronary Disease - surgery; Counterpulsation; Creatine Kinase - blood; Female; Heart Arrest, Induced - methods; Humans; Hypertonic Solutions; Isoenzymes; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Contraction - physiology; Potassium - administration & dosage; Potassium - analysis; Potassium - therapeutic use; Potassium Compounds; Stroke Volume - physiology; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Resistance - physiology; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology; Ventricular Function, Right - physiology
• ISSN: 0003-4975; 1552-6259
• DOI: 10.1016/0003-4975(92)90323-V

This study presents the results of bypass grafting in 96 patients operated on for triple-vessel coronary artery disease between May 1988 and September 1990. In the first 54 patients a cold crystalloid solution was employed, and in the 42 more recent patients cold blood low-potassium cardioplegia was employed. There were no differences in postoperative cardiac index or left ventricular stroke work index. Yet, in patients with impaired prebypass left ventricular stroke work index, postbypass left ventricular performance correlated negatively with duration of aortic cross-clamping in the cold crystalloid group (
r = −0.441,
p = 0.045). In contrast, no correlation was found in the cold blood low-potassium group (
r = 0.125,
p = 0.587). The incidence of myocardial infarction, need for inotropic support, and need for intraaortic balloon counterpulsation were similar among the groups. Release of the myocardial isoenzyme creatine kinase-MB from 12 to 30 hours after operation was significantly less in the low-potassium blood cardioplegia group. The use of low-potassium blood cardioplegia resulted in a marked reduction in the operative administration of fluids (1,527 ± 87 versus 3,511 ± 148 ml;
p < 0.001). In conclusion, low-potassium cold blood cardioplegia is a simple and effective method of myocardial protection. The fact that left ventricular stroke work index recovery was not dependent on the duration of aortic occlusion and that release of the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase was reduced in the low-potassium blood cardioplegia group implies better myocardial protection.