title: Rhythm disturbances after blood and crystalloid cardioplegia in coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: One hundred consecutive patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting were randomized to receive either blood or crystalloid cardioplegia. Successful Holter monitoring for rhythm disturbances was done before and immediately after the operation in 83 cases. With both modes of cardioplegia there were increases in the occurrence of rhythm disturbances postoperatively. The increases were mostly statistically significant. There was no intergroup differences in the occurrence of arrhythmias. The association between these disturbances and cross-clamp times, myocardial temperatures during cross-clamping, myocardial fibrillation times during and after cross-clamping, CK-MB values and perioperative infarction all indicated ischaemia or incomplete myocardial protection as a major cause of the immediate postoperative rhythm disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Pehkonen
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Reinikainen
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kataja
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Tarkka
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001769:Blood; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D000077324:Crystalloid Solutions; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D010952:Plasma Substitutes; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions; D000077324:Crystalloid Solutions; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D010952:Plasma Substitutes