Adrenomedullin alterations related to cardiopulmonary bypass in infants with low cardiac output syndrome.

Background: Low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) remains a major perioperative complications in infants subjected to open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The present study investigated whether perioperative blood assessment of a potent vasoactive peptide namely adrenomedullin (AM) can predict the risk of LCOS.

Methods: We measured AM levels in 48 patients (LCOS: n = 9; controls: n = 39) undergone to open-heart surgery with CPB at five predetermined time points before, during and after the surgery.