How strong is the evidence for the use of perioperative β blockers in non-cardiac surgery? Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of perioperative β blocker treatment in patients having non-cardiac surgery. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources: Seven search strategies, including searching two bibliographic databases and hand searching seven medical journals. Study selection and outcomes: We included randomised controlled trials that evaluated β blocker treatment in patients having non-cardiac surgery. Perioperative outcomes within 30 days of surgery included total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal cardiac arrest, non-fatal stroke, congestive heart failure, hypotension needing treatment, bradycardia needing treatment, a..