title: Myocardial oxygen balance during hemodilution in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: The myocardial (arterial-coronary sinus) balance of oxygen and lactate was studied before a cardiopulmonary bypass and during the first 5 min of a normothermic bypass in two patient groups undergoing coronary revascularization for multiple coronary artery disease. The hemodilution (HD) group was hemodiluted before the bypass with dextran 70 (15 ml/kg; resulting mean hematocrit 32%) and further at the beginning of the bypass due to nonhemic priming of the oxygenator (mean hematocrit 15%). The control (C) group was not diluted before the bypass, and four units of red blood cells were included in the oxygenator priming (mean hematocrit 27% after the beginning of the bypass). The preoperative dilution produced a decline in the coronary sinus blood oxygen tension and oxygen saturation, but no change in the arterial-coronary sinus lactate balance. After the first 5 min of the bypass, the heart produced lactate in both the HD group and the C group, but the lactate production was more pronounced in the HD group. At the same time, the coronary sinus blood oxygen saturation was lower in the HD group than in the C group. Hypotension frequently accompanied the beginning of the bypass in both groups. It is concluded that the hemodilution to a hematocrit level of 32% in patients undergoing coronary revascularization for multiple stable coronary artery disease produces compensatory changes in myocardial oxygen extraction, but no changes of a generalized ischemia can be demonstrated. The hemodilution to a hematocrit level of 15% produces myocardial ischemia in patients with a normothermic unloaded heart, adding to the effect of hypotension at the beginning of the bypass.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D006400:Hematocrit; D006438:Hemodilution; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption