N-Acetylcysteine and Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation: Comment

Abstract

Support was provided solely from institutional and/or departmental sources.

N-Acetylcysteine and Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation: Reply

“…We thank Dr. Kinoshita and Dr. Kawashima, 1 and Dr. Wen, Dr. Huang, and Dr. Li 2 for their comments and their interest in our work. In the comments from Kinoshita and Kawashima, 1 they speculate that exposing our patients to a high fraction of inspired oxygen during one-lung ventilation negated the potential antioxidant effects of N -acetylcysteine during the 48 h after surgery. In our study, N -acetylcysteine was started only 1 to 2 h after the patient arrived at the postanesthesia care unit, where they had been receiving oxygen, by nasal cannula in most cases and occasionally by face mask, with varying degrees of inspired oxygen (typically in the range of 30 to 40%).…”

“…We thank Dr. Kinoshita and Dr. Kawashima, 1 and Dr. Wen, Dr. Huang, and Dr. Li 2 for their comments and their interest in our work. In the comments from Kinoshita and Kawashima, 1 they speculate that exposing our patients to a high fraction of inspired oxygen during one-lung ventilation negated the potential antioxidant effects of N -acetylcysteine during the 48 h after surgery.…”