Coronary by-pass operations sometimes was followed by arrythmia signs, one of an article in Journal of Cardiothoracic 
Surgery medio February 2009 stated the need to prophylactic use of magnesium sulphate and amiodarone to prevent arrythmia symptom.
Currently beta-blockers or negative inotropics were used broadly to treat arrythmia cases following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). But mostly this medication increase myocardial oxygen consumption as a side effect. Identifying and detecting an ionic imbalances such as potassium and magnesium during the postoperative period might be an important factor in most of the cases of arrhythmia that do not have organic causes (e.g. insufficient revascularization and graft thrombosis), according to this article.
Osman Tiryakioglu and his colleagues from Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Education and Research Hospital and Medical Park Hospital, Turkey investigated the use of prophylactic magnesium sulphate and amiodarone in treating arrhythmias following CABG. From 192 patients who were undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), sixty-four patients were given 3 g of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) in 100 cc of isotonic 0.9% solution over 2 hours intravenously at the following times: 12 hours prior to the operation, immediately following the operation, and on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. Another 64 patients was given a preoperative infusion of amiodarone (1200 mg) on first post-operative day and after the operation amiodarone was administered orally at a dose of 600 mg/day.
As results they revealed amiodarone is significantly more effective than magnesium sulphate in treating total arrhythmia. Magnesium’s functions was lengthening the refractory period at the atrioventricular node for its role in preventing and treating atrial fibrillation.
The researchers suggested routine both amiodarone and magnesium sulfate as these medication worked safely and sufficiently for postoperative arrythmia and/or atrial fibrillation in patient undergoing open-heart surgery, as conclusion of this article. Continue complete read Medication of Arrythmia following CABG in Pdf format-type you can download here (source: cardiothoracicsurgery.org).
