Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42206948›Full record

Trial reportCritical care medicine2026

Magnesium Sulfate to Prevent Perioperative Atrial Fibrillation in Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Manon Meerman, Marit Buijser, Ary Serpa Neto, Lettie van den Berg, Anne-Marthe van den Heuvel, Gerard Hoohenkerk, Vincent van Driel, Luuk Munsterman, Roel de Vroege, Michael Bailey and 2 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Critical care medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Manon MeermanDepartment of Intensive Care, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Marit BuijserDepartment of Cardiology, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Ary Serpa NetoDepartment of Intensive Care, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Lettie van den BergDepartment of Intensive Care, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Anne-Marthe van den HeuvelDepartment of Cardiology, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Gerard HoohenkerkDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Vincent van DrielDepartment of Cardiology, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Luuk MunstermanDepartment of Cardiac Anaesthesia, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Roel de VroegeDepartment of Perfusion, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.
Michael BaileyAustralian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Rinaldo BellomoDepartment of Intensive Care, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Jeroen LudikhuizeDepartment of Intensive Care, HagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1691-0706

Funding

HagaZiekenhuis WF T21-118/01/JWVirtutis Opus None
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo determine whether perioperative IV magnesium sulfate infusion, targeting serum magnesium concentrations of 1.5-2.0 mmol/L, reduces the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

designDouble-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-center clinical trial with interim analysis for futility.

settingHagaZiekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands (February 2022-November 2023). PATIENTS: Adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and/or valvular surgery without prior atrial arrhythmias or severe renal dysfunction.

interventionsContinuous IV infusion of magnesium sulfate (3 mmol/hr, with bolus if [baseline] magnesium < 1.0 mmol/L) or placebo (Ringer's lactate), initiated after induction of anesthesia and continued until ICU discharge. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

resultsA total of 265 patients underwent randomization before the trial was stopped at interim analysis for futility. Magnesium supplementation achieved clear separation in serum magnesium concentrations between groups. POAF occurred in 50 of 132 patients (37.9%) in the magnesium group and 38 of 133 patients (28.6%) in the placebo group (relative risk, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.92-1.80). No subgroup demonstrated benefit. Time-to-event and day-by-day analyses showed no early reduction in POAF with magnesium. Vasopressor use was more frequent in the magnesium group, although differences were not statistically significant. No safety signal was identified.

conclusionsIn this randomized trial, perioperative magnesium infusion targeting serum concentrations of 1.5-2.0 mmol/L did not reduce POAF after cardiac surgery. These findings do not support routine prophylactic magnesium supplementation for prevention of POAF.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCardiac Surgical ProceduresMagnesium SulfatePostoperative ComplicationsAgedDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansInfusions, IntravenousMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsPerioperative CareMagnesium Sulfateatrial fibrillationcardiac surgerymagnesiumpostoperative arrhythmiarandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID42206948
PMCPMC13322146

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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.