The intermittent "warm" blood cardioplegia]

Even today, a plethora of cardioplegic solutions are in clinical use. In the study presented here, sixty-six consecutive coronary bypass procedures received normothermic (37 degrees C) blood cardioplegia (NBC) intermittently. This group of patients was compared to an historical group of 68 patients having received cold crystalloid cardioplegia (CCC), and a second group of 41 patients having received cold blood (10 degrees C) cardioplegia (CBC). The number of patients, as well as their age, sex, functional class, ejection fraction and urgency of intervention were comparable between the three groups. The preoperative use of inotropic drugs was less prevalent in the normothermic blood cardioplegia group (NBC 24% v. CCC 52% and CBC 51%, p < 0.05), as was the use of a pacemaker (NBC 8% v. CCC 52% and CBC 51%, p < 0.02). Finally, the rates of myocardial infarction and mortality were comparable between the three groups. These results suggest that normothermic blood cardioplegia is efficient in reducing the demand in O2, by inducing the electromechanical arrest of the heart and, that intermittent normothermic blood cardioplegia can be safe and effective.