Skip to main content
Download PDF

Volume 13 Supplement 1

Abstracts from the 26th National Congress of the Italian Society of Geriatric Surgery

  • Meeting abstract
  • Open access
  • Published:

Effect of beta blockers on the incidence of atrial fibrillation in elderly patients after abdominal surgery

BMC Surgery volume 13, Article number: A32 (2013) Cite this article

Aim of the study

To determine whether treatment with Beta Blockers during abdominal surgery would reduce the incidence of post-operative Atrial Fibrillation (AF).

Background

Post operative AF is a common problem in patients following surgery. The incidence of such arrhythmia has been reported to range from 20–35% and increase to the age and to presence of comorbidities [1–3]. Also, AF is related to many complications and it is still debated what is the best interventions, especially in the elderly [4]. Sympathetic nervous system activation is strictly related to surgery stress [5] and treatment with Beta Blockers may reduce this overactivation that predispose to AF occurence [6–10].

Methods

A pilot study was conducted with 30 elderly patients (age > 65 years) who underwent abdominal surgery (right emicolectomy, sigmoidectomy and anterior rectal resection). They were randomized to control (ctr) (n = 14) and Beta Blockers (beta) (n = 16) groups. Before surgery all elderly patients have been taking Beta Blockers (for hypertension or heart failure). During and after surgery only the beta group received the medication. Both groups were well matched and had the same demographic and clinical characteristics.

Results

After surgery 5 patients of ctr group and in 1 patients of beta group developed AF (p < 0.001). All patients with AF occurrence were >75 years old.

Conclusions

Beta Blockers could not be stopped during abdominal surgery in elderly patients (with hypertension or heart failure) because significantly reduce the incidence of post-operative AF. Moreover, the link between the older age and AF occurrence is confirmed also in this population.

References

  1. Rengo F, Parisi V, Rengo G, Femminella GD, Rengo C, Zincarelli C, Pagano G, Festa G, De Lucia C, Leosco D: Instruments for geriatric assessment: new multidimensional assessment approaches. JOURNAL OF NEPHROLOGY. 2012, 25: 73-78. 10.5301/jn.5000164. ISSN: 1121-8428, doi: 10.5301/jn.5000164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Pilotto A, Addante F, Franceschi M, Leandro G, Rengo G, D’Ambrosio P, Longo MG, Rengo F, Pellegrini F, Dallapiccola B, Ferrucci L: A Multidimensional Prognostic Index (MPI) based on a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Predicts Short-Term Mortality in Older Patients with Heart Failure. Circulation: Heart Failiure. 2010, 3: 14-20. 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.109.865022.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Rengo F, Leosco D, Iacovoni A, Rengo G, Golino L, Borgia F, De Lisa G, Beneduce F, Senni M: Epidemiology and risk factors for heart failure in the elderly. Italian heart journal : official journal of the Italian Federation of Cardiology. 2004, 5 (Suppl 10): 9S-16S.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Rengo G, Pagano G, Squizzato A, Moja L, Femminella GD, de Lucia C, Komici K, Parisi V, Savarese G, Ferrara N, Perrone-Filardi P, Leosco D: Oral anticoagulation therapy in heart failure patients in sinus rhythm: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS One. 2013, 8 (1): e52952-10.1371/journal.pone.0052952. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052952

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Paolillo S, Rengo G, Pagano G, Pellegrino T, Savarese G, Femminella GD, Tuccillo , Boemio A, Attena E, Formisano R, Petraglia L, Scopacasa F, Galasso G, Leosco D, Trimarco B, Cuocolo A, Perrone-Filardi P: Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on Cardiac Sympathetic Innervation in Patients With Heart Failure. A Iodine-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I123MIBG) Scintigraphic Study. Diabetes Care. 2013

    Google Scholar 

  6. Rengo G, Lymperopoulos A, Zincarelli C, Femminella Gd, Liccardo D, Pagano G, de Lucia C, Cannavo A, Gargiulo P, Ferrara N, Perrone Filardi P, Koch Wj, Leosco D: Blockade of beta-adrenoceptors restores the GRK2-mediated adrenal alpha(2) -adrenoceptor-catecholamine production axis in heart failure. BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY. 2012, 166: 2430-2440. 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01972.x. ISSN: 1476-5381, doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01972.x

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Rengo G, Zincarelli C, Femminella GD, Liccardo D, Pagano G, de Lucia C, Altobelli GG, Cimini V, Ruggiero D, Perrone-Filardi P, Gao E, Ferrara N, Lymperopoulos A, Koch WJ, Leosco D: Myocardial beta(2) -adrenoceptor gene delivery promotes coordinated cardiac adaptive remodelling and angiogenesis in heart failure. BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY. 2012, 166: 2348-2361. 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01954.x. ISSN: 1476-5381, doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01954.x

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Rengo G, Perrone-Filardi P, Femminella GD, Liccardo D, Zincarelli C, de Lucia C, Pagano G, Marsico F, Lymperopoulos A, Leosco D: Targeting the beta-adrenergic receptor system through G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2: a new paradigm for therapy and prognostic evaluation in heart failure: from bench to bedside. CIRCULATION. HEART FAILURE. 2012, 5: 385-391. 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.112.966895. ISSN: 1941-3289, doi: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.112.966895

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Rispoli C, Rocco N, Iannone L, Amato B: Developing guidelines in geriatric surgery: role of the grade system. BMC Geriatrics. 2009, 9 (SUPPL.1): A99-

    Google Scholar 

  10. Leosco D, Rengo G, Iaccarino G, Golino L, Marchese M, Fortunato F, Zincarelli C, Sanzari E, Ciccarelli M, Galasso G, Altobelli GG, Conti V, Matrone G, Cimini V, Ferrara N, Filippelli A, Koch WJ, Rengo F: Exercise promotes angiogenesis and improves β-adrenergic receptor signalling in the post-ischaemic failing rat heart. Cardiovascular Research. 2008, 30 (3):

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Gennaro Pagano, Dario Leosco & Nicola Ferrara

  2. “Salvatore Maugeri” Foundation, IRCCS Scientific Institute of Telese Terme, Benevento, Italy

    Nicola Ferrara

  3. Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Nicola Rocco

  4. Department of General Surgery - ASL NA1, Cardinale Ascalesi Hospital, Naples, Italy

    Corrado Rispoli & Serena Testa

  5. Department of General Surgery, Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Benevento, Italy

    Loredana Iannone

  6. Department of General, Geriatric, Oncologic Surgery and Advanced Technologies, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Rita Compagna, Antonello Accurso & Bruno Amato

Authors
  1. Gennaro Pagano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dario Leosco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nicola Ferrara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Nicola Rocco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Corrado Rispoli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Loredana Iannone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Serena Testa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Rita Compagna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Antonello Accurso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Bruno Amato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gennaro Pagano.

Rights and permissions

This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pagano, G., Leosco, D., Ferrara, N. et al. Effect of beta blockers on the incidence of atrial fibrillation in elderly patients after abdominal surgery. BMC Surg 13 (Suppl 1), A32 (2013). https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1186/1471-2482-13-S1-A32

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1186/1471-2482-13-S1-A32

Keywords

BMC Surgery

ISSN: 1471-2482

Contact us