Clinical testing of nicorandil supplemented normokalemic cardioplegic solution

Department of Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of North Norway, Breivika, P.O. Box 102/exp, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway *Corresponding author. Tel.: +47 77626000; fax: +47 77628298. E-mail address : tor.steensrud{at}unn.no (T. Steensrud). Does nicorandil instead of supranormal potassium safely provide cardioplegia and cardioprotection in humans? Fifty patients eligible for coronary artery surgery were randomly divided into two groups; one group received standard St Thomas' Hospital solution (STHS) and the other group got a crystalloid solution in which supranormal potassium was replaced with 0.2 mmol/l nicorandil. We measured time to arrest, rhythm abnormalities, pre- and postoperative troponin-T, CK-MB and myoglobin release as well as hemodynamic parameters. Time to arrest was significantly shorter in the STHS group (41.0±16.8 s) than in the nicorandil group (120.9±78.8 s, P