Adequacy of Preoperative Digitalis Therapy in Controlling Ventricular Rate in Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation

IN RECENT YEARS there has been a reawakening of interest in prophylactic administration of digitalis, particularly prior to cardiovascular operations."-5 Such use of digitalis aims at improvement of cardiac performance at the time of stress and at reduction of ventricular rate in cases in which atrial fibrillation might be anticipated. The purpose of this communication is to assess the preoperative administration of digitalis in adequately controlling ventricular rate in postoperative atrial fibrillation.