calcium chloride + magnesium chloride + potassium chloride + sodium chloride

Plegisol (Cardioplegic Solution) is a sterile, nonpyrogenic, essentially isotonic electrolyte solution developed by Hospira (a Pfizer company) for use in inducing cardiac arrest during open-heart surgery. It contains a specific combination of calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride. When buffered with sodium bicarbonate and used in conjunction with ischemia and hypothermia, it is administered via rapid infusion into the aortic root. The solution works primarily through its high potassium content, which depolarizes the myocardial cell membrane, leading to elective asystole. This state of cardiac arrest allows for a bloodless and still surgical field while protecting the myocardium from ischemic damage and preserving high-energy phosphates for post-ischemic recovery.

Brand names

Plegisol

Other names

Cardioplegic Solution