Authors' objectives:

This aim of this report was to assess the effectiveness of prophylactic beta-adrenergic blocking agents given perioperatively for preventing post-operative cardiac adverse events.

Authors' recommendations: - The peri-operative use of beta blockers has been studied by a number of authors in the past 15 years. - beta blockers have been found to: - statistically significantly reduce the risk of in-hospital cardiac, eight-month non-cardiac, and two-year cardiac and two-year all-cause mortality, myocardial ischaemia, atrial fibrillation, and average heart rates - reduce the risk of all-cause in-hospital, eight-month and two-year noncardiac mortality, myocardial infarction, supraventricular tachycardia, and mean arterial pressures. These reductions were not statistically significant. - statistically significantly increase the risk of development of bradycardia or hypotension of a severity that necessitates a change in therapy. There were no statistically significant increases in the risk for congestive heart failure or stroke.

Authors' methods: Review

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.med.monash.edu.au/healthservices/cce/evidence/

Year Published: 2000

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Australia

Organisation Name: Centre for Clinical Effectiveness

Contact Address: Monash Institute of Health Services Research, Block E, Monash Medical Centre, Locked Bag 29, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9594 7505; Fax: +61 3 9594 7552.

Contact Name: cce@med.monash.edu.au.

Contact Email: cce@med.monash.edu.au.

Copyright: Centre for Clinical Effectiveness (CCE)