Clinic Research Of Preoperative Oral Amiodarone For The Prevention Of Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting In Patients Older Than 70 Years

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative low-dose oral amiodarone for the prevention of atrial fibrillation(AF) after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting(OPCAB) in patients older than 70 years.Methods 159 patients were randomly divided into amiodaro ne group and control group. In the amiodarone group, there were 82 patients including 40 male and 42 female patients who were given oral amiodarone 0.2g, three times a day, 3-5days before surgery, and amiodarone was stopped from the OPCAB day. Preoperative duration of amiodarone intake was 4.0±1.2 days, and total amiodarone dosage was 2.6±0.5g. In the control group, there were 77 patients including 36 male and 41 female patients who were given oral placebo as the same medication schedule, and preoperative duration of placebo intake was 4.0±1.4 days. Postoperative AF incidence, AF duration were compared between the two groups.Results Postoperative AF incidence of the amiodarone group was significantly lower than that of the control group[18.2%(15/82)vs.36.3(28/77),P=0.028]. 75 patients in the amiodarone group(91.4%) and 67 patients in the control group(87.0%) were followed up for 8-24 months. During follow- up, 2 patients in the both group died of acute myocardial infarction and cerebral he morrhage respectively..Conclusion Preoperative low-dose oral amiodarone can significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative AF in patients older than 70 years undergoing OPCAB.