Amiodarone versus sotalol for the treatment of atrial fibrillation after open heart surgery: The Reduction in Postoperative Cardiovascular Arrhythmic Events (REDUCE) trial

This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared the efficacy and safety of amiodarone and sotalol in the prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) following open heart surgery. The incidence of supraventricular arrhythmias following open heart surgery ranges from 20% to 40%, with AF being the most common. Both amiodarone and sotalol have been shown to be effective in reducing postoperative arrhythmias, but no direct comparison of these agents has been conducted. A total of 160 patients were randomized, of whom 134 underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) alone, 17 underwent CABG and concomitant aortic valve replacement surgery (AVR), 9 underwent AVR only, and 1 patient's surgery was canceled. Patients with signs or symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF), ejection fraction ≤30%, estimated creatinine clearance