Purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of cold potassium cardioplegia in pediatric open heart surgery. Since January 1980, cold potassium cardioplegia has been used in 42 consecutive patients less than 7 years old undergoing correction of various congenital heart diseases. In comparison with previous method of intermittent aortic cross clamping, aortic cross clamp and the use of cold potassium cardioplegia reduced the operative mortality (9.5%), the incidence of postoperative innotropic requirement (35.7%) and postoperative serum CPK levels. The incidence of spontaneous recovery of cardiac action after releasing aortic cross clamp, also increased to 81%. Judging from significantly higher activities of postoperative serum CPK and CPK-MB isozymes in children compared with adult, however, need for further improvement of the method of cardioplegic myocardial protection was suggested.
