Pesonen E, et al. - This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial tested a hypothesis that methylprednisolone used in cardiopulmonary bypass prime would reduce postoperative concentrations of heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein (hFABP) in pediatric cardiac surgery patients if cardioprotection of corticosteroids occurred during surgery. Findings demonstrated that cardioprotection conferred by methylprednisolone in cardiopulmonary bypass prime solution, administered only a few minutes before cardiac ischemia, was of the same magnitude as preoperative methylprednisolone as indicated by hFABP concentrations. Overall, rapid cardioprotective actions of corticosteroids in pediatric heart surgery observed previously experimentally may have occurred.