title: Atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery: established and emerging strategies of prevention.
abstract: More than 250,000 patients undergo cardiac surgery every year. Although advances in surgical techniques have reduced the peri-operative morbidity and mortality in these patients, atrial fibrillation persists to commonly occur following these surgeries. Traditional therapies have reduced their occurrence; however there are still a significant number of patients who develop this complication. Newer and non-conventional medications are being studied to reduce this cardiac arrhythmia. This review will elaborate on the patho-physiology, and prevention of this arrhythmia. We also aim to summarize recent investigated and patented medications which may result in more effective strategies for prophylaxis against this cardiac arrhythmia.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Cardiovascular Medicine, Lehigh Valley Health Network. Pennsylvania 18103, USA. nasirshariff@gmail.com
authors.forename: Nasir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shariff
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aleem
authors.forename: Larry E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cutitta
authors.forename: Sultan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Siddique
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freudenberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010330:Patents as Topic
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents