This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted 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): Joel Dunning Brian Prendergast Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dunning, J. Articles by Prendergast, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dunning, J. Articles by Prendergast, B. Related Collections Cardiac - other

What is the optimal medical treatment for stable cardiac surgical patients who go into atrial fibrillation after their operation?

^a Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WL, UK
^b Wythenshawe Hospital, South Moor Road, Manchester, UK

^* Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-7801548122
joeldunning{at}doctors.org.uk

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was which medical strategy is the optimal treatment for stable patients going into atrial fibrillation post cardiac surgery. Altogether 281 papers were found from medline and 83 from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials using the reported search, of which 12 presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results, and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. We conclude that there is very little evidence to support any one strategy over another.

Key Words: Evidence-based medicine; Thoracic surgery; Atrial fibrillation