The effect of preoperative digitalis and atenolol combination on postoperative atrial fibrillation incidence.
OBJECTIVE
The most frequent arrhythmia after coronary artery bypass surgery is atrial fibrillation (AF). The prevention and treatment of this type of arrhythmia is subobtimal. Digitalis, beta-blockers, diltiazem and amiodarone are the preferred drugs for the treatment. This study was designed to compare the effects of preoperatively started digitalis and atenolol in combination and separately, on the incidence of AF that occurs within 7 days following the operation.


METHODS
One-hundred and sixty patients who had similar demographic properties were randomly grouped as group I, that preoperatively received combined drug therapy (n=40), group II preoperatively used digitalis (n=40), group III atenolol (n=40), and group IV was the control group (n=40).


RESULTS
Postoperative AF incidence was 25, 15,4, and 17,9% in groups IV, III, and II, respectively, whereas it was 5% in group I which was lower than all other groups, but the difference was only significant between groups I and IV (P=0.012).


CONCLUSIONS
The combined use of atenolol and digitalis preoperatively was considered as an efficient treatment for lowering the incidence of AF following coronary artery bypass surgery.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ankara University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. levenyazicioglu@hotmail.com
Levent
L
Yazicioglu
Sadik
S
Eryilmaz
Mustafa
M
Sirlak
Mustafa Bahadir
MB
Inan
Atilla
A
Aral
Refik
R
Tasoz
Hakki
H
Akalin
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001262:Atenolol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004077:Digoxin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011292:Premedication
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D001262:Atenolol; D004077:Digoxin