high-potassium blood cardioplegia

High-Potassium (HP) blood cardioplegia is a specialized cardioplegic solution used during open-heart surgery to induce and maintain cardiac arrest. In the context of clinical research at Xijing Hospital, "HP" refers to a cold blood-based solution containing potassium chloride at a concentration of 20 mmol/L. The high concentration of potassium ions (K⁺) works by depolarizing the cardiac myocyte membrane, which inactivates voltage-gated sodium channels and prevents the generation of action potentials, thereby arresting the heart in diastole. This reduces myocardial oxygen demand and provides a still, bloodless field for surgical procedures, such as the repair of congenital heart defects in pediatric patients.

Other names

High-Potassium blood cardioplegiahyperkalemic cold blood cardioplegiaHP cardioplegia