Serial changes in left ventricular ejection fraction in the early hours after aortocoronary bypass grafting.

To determine the course of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the early hours after aortocoronary bypass grafting, 24 patients underwent serial gated bloodpool scanning. Twenty-two had received propranolol until the day of surgery. ECGs showed no evidence of perioperative infarction. Preoperatively, the mean (+/- SD) LVEF was 0.56 +/- 0.13; after bypass, it was 0.38 +/- 0.11 at 4 hours, 0.42 +/- 0.12 at 5 hours, 0.43 +/- 0.11 at 6 hours, 0.48 +/- 0.13 at 7 hours, 0.52 +/- 0.15 at 8 hours, and 0.54 +/- 0.15 at 10 to 14 days. The LVEFs at 4, 5, and 6 hours postoperatively were significantly lower than preoperatively (p less than 0.05). Postoperative mean heart rate was higher at all times; mean temperature was depressed at 4 and 5 hours and elevated at 7 and 8 hours; and mean arterial blood pressure was depressed at 7 hours, 8 hours, and 10 to 14 days (p less than 0.05). The degree of the early postoperative LVEF depression correlated with the daily preoperative propranolol dose (p less than 0.05) and was unrelated to bypass time, aortic cross-clamp time, or changes in temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. The LVEF at 10 to 14 days postoperatively was not significantly different from the preoperative value. The LVEF is depressed in the early hours after aortocoronary bypass grafting and approaches the preoperative value with time. The magnitude of the early depression appears to be related to the preoperative propranolol dose, but does not significantly correlate with factors related to surgical technique.