Professional
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
cardioplegia
Pronunciation: kar-dee-oh-PLEE-jee-ah
Solution used to temporarily stop the heart during cardiac surgery to protect the myocardium.
Full Definition
Cardioplegia refers to both the technique and the solution used to induce temporary cardiac arrest during open-heart surgery. The cardioplegic solution typically contains high concentrations of potassium and other protective agents that stop the heart in diastole while providing myocardial protection. This allows surgeons to operate on a still heart while minimizing ischemic damage to the cardiac muscle.
In Context
- "Cold blood cardioplegia was administered every 20 minutes during the procedure." — Perfusion record
- "The patient experienced delayed cardiac recovery following cardioplegia reversal." — Post-operative note
Also known as
cardiac arrest solution
heart-stopping solution
Don't confuse with
cardiopathy
cardioplasty