title: Perioperative magnesium supplementation to prevent atrial fibrillation after off-pump coronary artery surgery: a randomized controlled study.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, Vita-Salute University of Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zangrillo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Landoni
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sparicio
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pappalardo
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bove
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cerchierini
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sottocorna
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aletti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crescenzi
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D008274:Magnesium