Myocardial protection: A comparison of cold blood and cold crystalloid cardioplegia

Two hundred seven consecutive patients were randomized into four groups based on left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and subsequently into groups receiving crystalloid cardioplegia or blood cardioplegia. Hemodynamic data and enzymatic evidence of myocardial ischemia were examined postoperatively. We found slight but significant improvement in the blood cardioplegia group regarding left ventricular stroke work index. Similarly, the levels of creatine kinase and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase were slightly but significantly better with blood cardioplegia. We believe that the technique of blood cardioplegia offers a slight but statistically significant advantage.