Use of the Cardioprotectant Dexrazoxane During Congenital Heart Surgery

Use of the Cardioprotectant Dexrazoxane During Congenital Heart Surgery

Cardiopulmonary bypass and arrest of the heart during cardiac surgery are necessary to allow the surgeon to perform heart operations. However, these processes can cause injury to the heart which may worsen post-operative outcomes. In fact, the effects of these injuries may continue after surgery, and lead to a long-term decrease in heart function. Neonates and young infants are at particular risk for this occurrence.

While much research has been done in adults looking for medicines that might protect the heart during surgery, few studies have been conducted in neonates and young infants. The investigators are testing Dexrazoxane, which has proven to be cardio-protective in pediatric cancer patients, in the hope that it may lessen cardiac injury during and after congenital heart surgery, and thereby improve outcomes in the neonatal and young infant population.

In order to accomplish this, the investigators must first determine how Dexrazoxane can be safely administered to young children with congenital heart disease.

Neonates and infants undergoing heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest experience both inflammation and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion [IR] injury. These processes provoke myocardial apoptosis and oxygen free radical formation which result in cardiac injury and dysfunction. Dexrazoxane [DRZ] is a derivative of EDTA that is approved for prevention of anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity. It provides cardioprotection through reduction of toxic reactive oxygen species [ROS], and suppression of apoptosis.

The investigators propose a 12-patient pilot to determine DRZ pharmacokinetics, and to collect additional safety data in the neonatal and infant population. Efficacy of cardioprotection will not be evaluated in this preliminary investigation, though the investigators will determine postoperative time to resolution of organ failure, development of low cardiac output syndrome, length of cardiac ICU and hospital stays, laboratory indices of myocardial injury and systemic inflammation, and echocardiographic cardiac dysfunction for safety purposes, and as a run-in to the larger, randomized, placebo controlled trial. Conducting this pilot could optimize team execution of the study protocol. In addition, results could further establish the safety of DRZ in the neonatal and infant populations.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age ≤ 1 year
• open heart surgery requiring CPB and use of cardioplegia
• parent/guardian consent for study obtained
• surgery planned Monday-Friday

Exclusion Criteria:

• gestational age <36 weeks at time of enrollment
• known syndrome or genetic abnormality, except Trisomy 21
• single ventricle physiology
• concurrent enrollment in another research protocol