Der Anaesthesist
-
Review Meta Analysis
[Perioperative administration of beta-blockers. Critical appraisal of recent meta-analyses].
The perioperative administration of beta blockers is a controversial issue. Numerous trials failed to show any significant benefit or disadvantage because of low event rates and insufficient statistical power. ⋯ There is still no clear evidence to prove a significant benefit for the unselected perioperative use of beta blockers in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. While high-risk patients and those undergoing major surgical procedures seem to profit, low-risk patients may be more harmed than helped by this intervention. The fact that 3 meta-analyses raising the same question produced substantially different results, underlines the importance of critically appraising each meta-analysis.