This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Mohammad Hossein Mandegar Mohammad Ali Yousefnia Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Roshanali, F. Articles by Saidi, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Roshanali, F. Articles by Saidi, B.

Prevention of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting via atrial electromechanical interval and use of amiodarone prophylaxis

Day General Hospital, Tavanir st, Vali Asr Ave, Tehran, Iran

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +98-912-3093151; fax: +98-21-88797353.

E-mail address: farideh_roshanali{at}yahoo.com (F. Roshanali).

In our previous study, we defined a cut-off point of 120 ms for atrial electromechanical interval (AEMi) to determine the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) occurrence. Accordingly, the present study sought to investigate whether or not a prophylactic perioperative administration of amiodarone could reduce the incidence of AF in a high-risk group (AEMi >120 ms) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In this prospective, randomized study, 100 patients with AEMi >120 ms received either amiodarone (n=50) or placebo (n=50). The endpoints were AF occurrence after CABG and hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) lengths of stay after CABG. The incidence of postoperative AF was significantly higher in the placebo group than that of the amiodarone group (88% of patients in control group vs. 16% of patients in amiodarone group, P<0.0001). The prophylactic therapy with amiodarone significantly reduced the ICU length of stay (2.28±1.00 vs. 3.60±0.90 days, P<0.0001) and hospital length of stay (5.64±2.35 vs. 7.78±1.46 days, P<0.0001). The incidence of postoperative AF among patients with high AEMi was significantly reduced by a prophylactic amiodarone treatment, resulting in shorter ICU and hospital stays.

Key Words: Atrial fibrillation; Coronary artery disease