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After cardiac surgery, atrial fibrillation (AF) and delirium are common and problematic. They extend hospital stay, consume valuable hospital resources, and worsen patient outcomes. Thus, prevention of these complications would be very valuable. To see whether dexmedetomidine, an anxiety-reducing, sedating, and analgesic medicine, is helpful postoperatively, investigators conducted a manufacturer-funded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 798 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, which included cardiopulmonary bypass (NCT02004613).
Dexmedetomidine or saline placebo infusions began prior to incision and continued for 24 hours. By day 5 after surgery or by hospital discharge, AF occurred in 30% of the dexmedetomidine group and 34% o…