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Evidence summaries

Perioperative Betablockers for Preventing Surgeryrelated Mortality and Morbidity in Adults Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

Beta-blockers may reduce atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Level of evidence: "C"

The quality of evidence is downgraded by study limitations (high or unclear risk of bias) and imprecise results (wide confidence intervals).

Summary

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 63 studies with 7768 subjects and assessed evidence of whether beta-blockers given around the time of surgery can reduce death or other serious events for people undergoing heart surgery. There was no evidence of a difference in early all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular events, hypotension and bradycardia in patients receiving beta-blockers and those who did not. There seemed to be a reduction in atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias when beta-blockers were used.

Abstract and full text in Cochrane database http://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013435/full, SOF table http://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013435/full#CD013435-sec1-0001 (licence for full text and SOF table required).

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    References

    • Blessberger H, Lewis SR, Pritchard MW et al. Perioperative beta-blockers for preventing surgery-related mortality and morbidity in adults undergoing cardiac surgery. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019;(9):CD013435. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords