• Samuel H Howitt, Stuart W Grant, Niall G Campbell, Ignacio Malagon, and Charles McCollum.
• Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, ERC, Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom; Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia and Critical Care, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom. Electronic address: samuel.howitt@manchester.ac.uk.
• J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. 2020 May 1; 34 (5): 1152-1159.

ObjectivesPotassium and magnesium are frequently administered after cardiac surgery to reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The evidence for this practice is unclear. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between serum potassium and magnesium levels and AF after cardiac surgery.DesignObservational cohort study.SettingA cardiac intensive care unit in the United Kingdom.ParticipantsPatients undergoing cardiac surgery between January 2013 and November 2017.InterventionsNone.Measurements And Main ResultsCardiac rhythm was assessed using continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring in 3,068 patients on the cardiac intensive care unit. Associations between serum potassium and magnesium concentrations extracted from hospital databases and postoperative AF were assessed using univariable and multivariable analyses. The association between electrolyte supplementation therapy and AF was also analyzed. AF developed within 72 hours of cardiac surgery in 545 (17.8%) of the 3,068 patients. After adjusting for logistic EuroSCORE, surgery type, cardiopulmonary bypass time and age, mean serum potassium concentration <4.5 mmol/L was associated with an increased risk of AF (odds ratio [OR] 1.43 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-1.75), p < 0.001). Mean magnesium concentration <1.0 mmol/L was not associated with an increased risk of AF (OR 0.89, 0.71-1.13, p = 0.342), but the administration of magnesium was associated with increased risk of developing AF (OR 1.61, 1.33-1.96, p < 0.001).ConclusionsMaintaining a serum potassium concentration ≥4.5 mmol/L after cardiac surgery may reduce the incidence of postoperative AF. Magnesium supplementation was associated with an increased risk of postoperative AF. Prospective randomized trials are required to clarify these associations.Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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