Del Nido cardioplegia in adult patients

Most cardiac surgeries are currently performed on a stopped heart. The basic premise of those procedures is a sufficient protection of the myocardium against ischemia. Cold blood cardioplegia is one of the most commonly used methods. Cardioplegic arrest allows working in a calm and bloodless operating field and significantly reduces oxygen consumption. Its principle is the application of oxygenated blood enriched with cold cardioplegic solution, which due to the supraphysiological concentration of potassium causes cardiac arrest in diastole and cooling of the myocardium. There are several different cardioplegic solutions, which differ in their composition and the interval in which they must be administered during the procedure. However, there is no recommendation for the use of specific cardioplegic solutions. In the last decade, del Nido cardioplegia, which was originally designed for pediatric patients, has occurred in adult cardiac surgery. Although, convincing data quantifying the level of protection during cardiac arrest are not available, del Nido is routinely used in adult patients and it seems to be safe. Moreover the strategy of administering this solution is a prerequisite for shortening surgical times and increasing the flow of work compared to conventional cold blood cardioplegia.