Heart : official journal of the British Cardiac Society
-
Myocardial injury is an important cause of mortality and morbidity after paediatric cardiac surgery. Data obtained from studies in animals imply that juvenile myocardium is more resistant to the effects of ischaemia and reperfusion than adult myocardium but there is little confirmatory evidence in the clinical setting. ⋯ (i) Cardiac troponins are more specific markers of myocardial injury in paediatric cardiac surgery than myoglobin and CK-MB. (ii) Paediatric myocardium seems to be more vulnerable to injury during cardiac surgery than adult myocardium.