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Serum carnitine profile changes after open heart surgery in children with CHDs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2025

Wail Ali Open the ORCID record for Wail Ali [Opens in a new window]  and
David Rosen Open the ORCID record for David Rosen [Opens in a new window]
Wail Ali*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Critical Care, Riley Children’s Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
David Rosen
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Anesthesiology, WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA
*
Corresponding author: Wail Ali; Email: aliw@iu.edu
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Abstract

L-carnitine is essential for myocardial metabolism, and its depletion may compromise heart function. We conducted a prospective observational study to assess serum carnitine profiles in 26 children under 36 months of age undergoing elective open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Measurements included free carnitine, acylcarnitine, and the acylcarnitine-to-free carnitine ratio, recorded preoperatively and at multiple postoperative time points up to 24 hours. We observed a significant postoperative decline in free carnitine and an increase in the acylcarnitine-to-free carnitine ratio, both of which correlated with cardiopulmonary bypass duration. These results highlight a perioperative disturbance in carnitine metabolism, suggesting potential relevance for postoperative cardiac recovery.

Keywords

CHDscarnitinecardiopulmonary bypass

Information

Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 35 , Issue 12 , December 2025 , pp. 2530 - 2536
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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