In order to quantify seric levels of heparin, its attenuation as a time function and its residual value after neutralization with protamine sulfate, blood samples were collected, at pre-set intervals, from 27 patients undergoing myocardial revascularization surgery under extracorporeal circulation. After heparinization (400 Ul/Kg), blood samples were collected at 5, 10, 30 and 60 minutes and subsequently every 30 minutes depending upon the extracorporeal circulation lenght. At each hour after heparinization, a new heparin dose (200 Ul/Kg) was administered. The samples were kept at 4ºC prior to the heparin extract process, which was performed by physical/chemical method. The dosages showed that 5 minutes after heparinization the patients show maximal blood concentration of heparin and after 60 minutes it is aproximately 68% of the concentration at 5 minutes. At 90 minutes time, that is, after re-heparinization, the concentration of heparin is 96% of the one showed on the fifth minute and after the protamine sulfate neutralization (1.5:1), a residual value corresponding to 4% of the one initially observed is still found. It was observed that older patients have a tendency to keep longer seric heparin level, and heparin concentration at a given time could be estimated by the Equation Heparin - Concentration = 104.7 + (-12.85 x minutes (In) + 0.25 x age).
Heparin; Myocardial revascularization; Extracorporeal circulation