Reperfusion injury associated with one-fourth of deaths after coronary artery bypass grafting.
BACKGROUND
This study of reperfusion injury after coronary artery bypass grafting focuses on its contribution to fatal outcome, on its connection with myocardial infarction (MI) and on risk factors.


METHODS
A consecutive series of 190 patients (mean age 61.7+/-8.9 years) dying within 30 days following coronary artery bypass grafting was autopsied with concomitant postmortem angiography during 1980 to 1993.


RESULTS
Reperfusion injury was revealed in 49 (25.8%) patients, with concomitant MI in almost all (46 of 49) (p < 0.01). Reperfusion injury occurred in association with preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) III classification (p < 0.05), coronary endarterectomy (p < 0.01), long aortic clamping time (p < 0.01), and short postoperative survival (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Reperfusion injury was observed in one fourth of the deaths in association with MI. It occurred more often in patients with preoperative NYHA III symptoms and in those in whom endarterectomy was carried out and the anoxic time of the myocardium was longer. The shorter postoperative survival time indicates the lethal nature of this complication.
Weman
S M
SM
Department of Forensic Medicine, Helsinki University, Finland.
Karhunen
P J
PJ
Penttilä
A
A
Järvinen
A A
AA
Salminen
U S
US
D000792:Angiography; D002423:Cause of Death; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000401:mortality*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors