Information from a new study is showing that prescription medications do not work very well in preventing patients from developing atrial fibrillation (AF) after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). In fact, the study found that 30 percent of CABG patients who participated in the study developed AF after having the surgery, says according to Dr. Jonathan P. Piccini from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The report of this study was published online July 15th in the American Journal of Cardiology.
“Despite multiple clinical trials evaluating preventive interventions for post-operative AF and advances in cardiovascular surgery and anesthesia, the incidence of post-operative AF remains high,” Piccini told Reuters Health by email. “Currently, physicians have varied approaches to prophylaxis and these interventions don’t appear to have a major or striking impact in clinical practice.”
For the study, Piccini and colleagues analyzed information that was collected from the CAPS-Care registry, which looked at medication use before surgery. They also looked into how effective the drugs were in real-world settings. What they found was that almost one-third of the patients sustained AF after having the surgery.
Treating AF can be tricky when surgery is applied. Often times, patients are given beta-blockers and anticoagulant medications as part of their AF treatments. One of those drugs is Multaq. Multaq is made by Sanofi-Aventis and has been linked to serious side effects, including a worsening of the heart condition, liver failure and lung toxicity. It is for this reason that the FDA has recommended that doctors only prescribe Multaq if all other medications fail to work.
If you or a loved one has suffered from liver failure or a worsening heart condition after being treated with Multaq, contact the attorneys at Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Multaq lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your injuries.