[Myocardial protection during repair of congenital heart disease in infants (author's transl)].

The authors use the Bretschneider's cardioplegic solution at 4 degrees C as myocardial preservation in 45 open-heart cases in infants. Using moderate hypothermia at 28 degrees C, the mean myocardial temperature is 17.2 degrees C, using profound hypothermia at 18 degrees C, the mean myocardial temperature is 11.7 degrees C. The reinfusion criteria is myocardial temperature equal or up to perfusion temperature, that is about 40 to 50 minutes after the first infusion. The need of heart defibrillation has been 3 cases over 45 (6.5%). In the early post-operative course they notice 2 low cardiac output syndromes (5%) who responded well at catecholamines infusion. The hospital mortality is 2 deaths over 45 cases, unreliable with myocardial protection.