Brain protection in open heart surgery in patients with infective endocarditis

: Effect of nimotope on cerebral metabolism and incidence of mental disorders in patients operated on under forced ventilation of the lungs (FVL) was studied in 32 patients subjected to replacement of mitral and aortic valves for infective endocarditis. Nimotope was used for preventing hypoxic disorders of the CNS. The drug was injected starting from the stage of operation before FVL. Cerebral hypoxia was diagnosed using lactate-oxygen index (LOI) and other cerebral metabolic coefficients. LOI increased in all patients immediately after FVL, being much higher in the patients without cerebral protection. Moreover, numerous neurotic and mental disorders were observed in this group of patients during the early postoperative period. By contrast, no mental disorders, disorders of memory or attention were detected in the patients treated with nimotope. These data indicate that nimotope decreases the unfavorable effect of FVL on the CNS function in patients with infective endocarditis. The difference of lactate content in arterial blood and in the internal jugular vein bulb and LOI can be used for the diagnosis of brain ischemia in heart surgery with FVL.