title: Myocardial protection with cold blood potassium cardioplegia during prolonged aortic cross-clamping.
abstract: The efficacy of cold blood potassium cardioplegia during periods of aortic cross-clamping (greater than 100 minutes) was assessed in 127 patients undergoing a variety of open-heart surgical procedures at New York University Medical Center from january, 1978, to April, 1979. Ischemic intervals ranged from 100 to 267 minutes (mean, 128 minutes). Cardiac-related deaths occurred in only 3 patients (2.4%), and overall operative mortality was 8.7% (11 patients). The rate of perioperative infarction was 10%. Fourteen patients (11%) required vasopressor support or balloon counterpulsation after cardiopulmonary bypass despite the lengthy cross-clamp intervals. Multivariate analysis revealed no significant relationship between the length of cross-clamp time and operative mortality (p = 0.29), incidence of perioperative infarction (p = 0.54), or the occurrence of low-output syndrome postoperatively (p = 0.68). These findings suggest that cold blood potassium cardioplegia provides adequate myocardial protection when periods of arrest as long as 3 to 4 hours are required for complex cardiac surgical procedures.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D001769:Blood; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality; D003250:Constriction; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D011188:Potassium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011188:Potassium