Observational studyJournal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia2020
Are Serum Potassium and Magnesium Levels Associated with Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery?
Observational study in Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Preoperative Diastolic Dysfunction and Perioperative Risk Factors as Predictors of New Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Brazilian journal of cardiovascular surgery · 2026Article
- Relationship between β-receptor blocker and atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure: an observational study based on MIMIC IV database.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2025Observational
- Relevance of Targeting Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory, and Pro-Resolution Mechanisms in the Prevention and Management of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Optimising the management of temporary epicardial atrial pacing to combat postoperative atrial fibrillation.The British journal of cardiology · 2025Article
- The association between low serum calcium level and new-onset atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting.Interdisciplinary cardiovascular and thoracic surgery · 2024Article
- Evaluation of Perioperative Beta-Blockers and Factors Associated with Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Cardiac Surgery: A Single Center Experience.Reviews in cardiovascular medicine · 2023Article
- Post-operative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: Challenges throughout the patient journey.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2023Review
- Clinician preference instrumental variable analysis of the effectiveness of magnesium supplementation for atrial fibrillation prophylaxis in critical care.Scientific reports · 2022Observational
- L-Carnitine supplementation for the prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation in aortic valve surgery.General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
- Commented on by
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
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.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.