Crystalloid versus blood-enriched cardioplegia: clinical and biochemical markers of myocardial injury

ABSTRACT

In this study, two methods of myocardial preservation were compared. Sixty patients were enrolled in this study and categorized into two groups Group I, 28 patients received cold crystalloid cardioplegia and group II, 32 patients received cold blood enriched cardioplegia. The two groups of patients [all underwent mitral valve replacement] were comparable as regards age sex, New York Heart Association class [NYHA], ejection fraction, pulmonary artery pressure, left atrial size, ischemic and cardiopulmonary bypass times. Myocardial protection has been assessed from the evolution of hemodynamic parameters, reperfusion arrhythmias and the postoperative need for inotropic support. The extent of myocardial injury was also estimated by monitoring the postoperative leakage of the MB isoenzyme of creatinine kinase [CK-MB] and the more recently used cardiac troponin T [cTnT]