• Kristen A Perkerson, Effie L Gillespie, C Michael White, Jeffrey Kluger, Hiroyoshi Takata, Michael Kardas, Agron Ismaili, and Craig I Coleman.
• School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA.
• Pharmacotherapy. 2005 Mar 1; 25 (3): 320-4.

Study ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of prophylactic amiodarone on length of stay (LOS), postoperative stroke, and postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF).DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingHartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut.PatientsTwo thousand forty-six patients who underwent cardiothoracic surgery from February 1998-October 2003 (186 received amiodarone, 1860 were controls).Measurements And Main ResultsPatients receiving any of the prophylactic amiodarone regimens used in the Atrial Fibrillation Suppression Trials (AFIST) I and II were matched (1:10 matching) for age, valvular surgery, history of atrial fibrillation, sex, beta-blocker intolerance, and preoperative digoxin therapy with patients not receiving amiodarone prophylaxis. The AFIST regimens consisted of oral amiodarone 6 g over 6 days and 7 g over 10 days, beginning on preoperative days 1 and 5, respectively, or a hybrid intravenous and oral loading regimen delivering amiodarone 7 g over 5 days. Mean+/-SD age of the patients was 68.9+/-9.8 years, 75% were men, and 21% had undergone valvular surgery. Patients receiving prophylactic amiodarone had a shorter LOS (8.6+/-6.0 days) than controls (11.6+/-14.0 days, p=0.003) and a reduced frequency of POAF (23.1% vs 29.9%, p=0.05). Frequency of stroke was not significantly affected (2.2% vs 2.7% in the amiodarone vs control groups, p=0.61).ConclusionUse of the prophylactic amiodarone regimens from the AFIST trials reduced LOS by 3.0 days and frequency of POAF by 22.7%.

24 keywords...

hide…