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Discussion

Meds. to stop the Heart?

Hello all,

I am doing an assignment for my Pharm. class, and I am not having much luck with finding the answer to my question. While lecturing about Cardiac Meds. my Instructor asked us to research what medications are administered to stop the Heart during surgery. I am not sure what type of surgery she is talking about, but if anyone knows of what drugs are used to stop the heart can you please let me know?

(Besides undiluted IV Potassium....LOL.):chuckle

Featured Replies

  • Admin

I googled "cardiac surgery medications stop heart." When the heart is cooled to stop it for bypass surgery, the cooling usually does the trick, although they sometimes will use a potassium solution to aid the process (you weren't too far off!).

Anyone else? My field is not cardiac surgery, so I have to rely on my Google skills; this is all I found! Good luck!

  • Expert

Iced solutions, and I mean iced solutions. We store them in a freezer.

Adenosine will stop the heart -- sometimes when a pt goes into a funky rhythm, it's used to slow the rate in order to determine the rhythm. I think it's used for pts undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.

Most cardiac surgeons have their own little mixture of cardioplegia (the solution they use to stop the heart). Most are cooled, with potassium, some with magnesium, and some with procaine (a local anesthetic).

Adenosine will stop the heart -- sometimes when a pt goes into a funky rhythm, it's used to slow the rate in order to determine the rhythm. I think it's used for pts undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.

With this one, you count to 15 and hope and pray that the heart decides to beat again. BTW, that is THE longest 15 seconds of your life!

In heart transplant, we use a solution containing high potassium and glucose at 0 degrees C.

It is called UW as it was developed at the Univ. of Wisconson.

Many CT surgeons prefer this as a cardioplegia solution.

tm

  • Expert

It is the cold temperature that slows the heart, the fluids are actually in a slush machine and are literally poured over the heart.. Adenosine has never been used to stop the heart in any of the heasrt cases that I have been working in.

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