LIDOCAINE CARDIOPLEGIA FOR PREVENTION OF REPERFUSION VENTRICULAR-FIBRILLATION

Lidocaine addition to crystalloid cardioplegic solution for prevention of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation after the release of the aort ic cross-clamp was studied in 50 patients undergoing coronary artery b ypass grafting and in 30 patients undergoing mitral or aortic valve re placement. Twenty-six of the patients undergoing coronary artery bypas s grafting received lidocaine, 100 mg/L of cardioplegia, whereas a con trol group of 24 patients received cardioplegia without lidocaine. In the group undergoing valve replacement, 14 patients received lidocaine cardioplegia and 16 patients served as control. In the coronary arter y bypass grafting group, lidocaine cardioplegia reduced significantly the incidence of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation from 100% to 42% . In the valve group, lidocaine cardioplegia also reduced significantl y the incidence of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation from 93% to 42 %. In both groups, lidocaine cardioplegia decreased the number of dire ct-current countershocks required to defibrillate the heart, with no s ignificant increase in the incidence of high-grade atrioventricular bl ock.