Perioperative magnesium supplementation to prevent atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery surgery: a randomized controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
Atrial fibrillation is a common complication after cardiac surgery. Magnesium is an effective and safe antiarrhythmic agent for arrhythmias that develop after cardiac surgery. The authors performed a study to evaluate the role of perioperative magnesium for prophylaxis of atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery surgery.


METHODS
Randomized controlled study.


METHODS
University teaching hospital.


METHODS
One hundred sixty consecutive patients undergoing elective, isolated, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were prospectively randomized into 2 groups.


METHODS
Patients in the magnesium group (n = 80) received a 2.5-g (20 mEq) magnesium sulphate infusion intraoperatively over 30 minutes, and the placebo group (n = 80) received normal saline solution.


RESULTS
Postoperative atrial fibrillation occurred in 16 of 80 patients (20%) in the magnesium group and in 18 of 80 (22.5%) in the placebo group (p = 0.9).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of 2.5 g of intraoperative magnesium showed no effect in preventing atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery bypass.
Zangrillo
Alberto
A
Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, Vita-Salute University of Milano, Milan, Italy.
Landoni
Giovanni
G
Sparicio
Donatella
D
Pappalardo
Federico
F
Bove
Tiziana
T
Cerchierini
Elisa
E
Sottocorna
Ornella
O
Aletti
Giacomo
G
Crescenzi
Giuseppe
G
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000517:prevention & control*; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018401:Sample Size
D008274:Magnesium