title: Could treatment with scavengers of oxygen free radicals minimize complications in cardiac surgery?
abstract: Cardiac surgical complications may be caused by a plethora of events. Oxygen free radicals may participate in the pathophysiology of cardiopulmonary bypass and myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. The evidence of free radical production during bypass is limited, and studies of the effect of free radical scavengers even more limited. Experimental work points towards a role of oxygen free radicals in reperfusion damage of the ischaemic myocardium, but clinical data are lacking. Hitherto the clinical availability of free radical scavengers/antioxidants has been scarse. At present more such drugs are becoming clinically applicable, and trials on their effect are highly warranted, in particular as an adjuvant in myocardial protection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Tromsø.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vaage
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005609:Free Radicals