Serial Measurement of Arterial and Internal Jugular Venous Creatine Kinase Isoenzyme BB (CK-BB) after Deep Hypothermie Total Circulatory Arrest in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery*

Abstract

Profound hypothermia and circulatory arrest in infants and children undergoing cardiac surgery were followed by abnormally high plasma levels of creatine kinase isoenzyme BB (CK-BB). Differences in the levels of enzymes in the femoral arterial and jugular venous blood indicated that the origin of the additional enzyme was the brain. The extent of the rise in enzyme levels was related to the duration of circutatory arrest. These data suggest that measurements of the CK-BB enzyme in plasma provide quantitative Information about cerebral damage during cardiac surgery.