Why the study?
Does continuing beta-blockers reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing coronary artery surgery?
Does continuing beta-blockers reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing coronary artery surgery?
To reduce the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation, beta-blocker therapy should be continued preoperatively and re-established after coronary artery surgery.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May warrant continuing beta-blockers perioperatively in CABG; hypothesis-generating and requires randomized confirmation.
Atrial fibrillation following coronary artery surgery is common, especially in elderly patients but despite numerous studies its pathophysiological basis is still incompletely understood. It is usually benign and self-limiting, but may be associated with haemodynamic compromise, prolonged hospitalization and embolic stroke. No risk factors (apart from age and preoperative beta-blocker withdrawal) have been shown to be associated with its occurrence. Conventional treatment is usually effective but no prophylactic regime has been identified. Until such a regime is found the incidence of atrial fibrillation following myocardial revascularization may only be reduced by continuing treatment in patients on beta-blockers in the preoperative period and re-establishing this therapy after surgery.
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Underwood et al. (1994) studied this question.
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