ATRIAL-FIBRILLATION AFTER CORONARY-ARTERY BYPASS-SURGERY - PREDICTORSAND THE ROLE OF MGSO4 REPLACEMENT

Background: Supraventricular arrhythmias continue to complicate the po stoperative course of patients undergoing myocardial revascularization . The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) and to determine the efficacy of postoperative magne sium sulphate (MgSO4) replacement on the incidence of AF after coronar y artery bypass grafting (CABG) operation. Methods: Fifty patients und ergoing CABG were studied prospectively, Consenting patients with good left ventricular function and without any documented arrhythmias were randomly divided into two groups of 25 patients each in a double-blin d fashion. The clinical characteristics of both groups were similar. I n the study group, 200 mEq MgSO4 was given for the first 5 postoperati ve days, in the control group, placebo was given instead of MgSO4. Res ults: Five (20%) patients in the control group and one (4%) patient in the MgSO4 group experienced AF. There was no significant relationship between the development of AF and the following variables: age; sex; diabetes mellitus; hypertension; previous myocardial infarction; smoki ng; extension of coronary artery disease; aortic cross-clamping time; number of grafts; cardiopulmonary bypass time; postperative pericardit is; and anemia, Conclusion: The use of MgSO4 in early postoperative pe riod is effective in reducing the incidence of AF after CABG in patien ts with good ventricular function.