Evrard 2000.

Methods	RCT, parallel design
Participants	Total number of randomized participants: 206 Inclusion criteria: undergone CABG without cardiac concomitant procedures Exclusion criteria: left ventricular ejection fraction < 35%, history of obstructive lung disease, known intolerance to beta‐blockers, history of recurrent or persistent SVT, ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation, postoperative aortic balloon pumping, renal failure, digoxin or other anti‐arrhythmic agents between surgery and randomization Type of surgery: elective CABG Baseline characteristics Intervention group (sotalol) Age, mean (SD): 61 (± 9) years Gender, M/F: 92/11 History of MI, %: 38 Left ventricular ejection fraction, mean (SD), %: 61 (± 13) Preoperative use of beta‐blockers, %: 67 Control group (standard care) Age, mean (SD): 61 (± 9) years Gender, M/F: 92/11 History of MI, %: 40 Left ventricular ejection fraction, mean (SD), %: 60 (± 12) Preoperative use of beta‐blockers, %: 68 Country: Belgium Setting: single centre; hospital
Interventions	Intervention group (sotalol) Randomized, n = 103; losses = 0; analysed, n = 103 (use of ITT analysis not reported) Details: started at noon on 1st postoperative day, 80 mg sotalol. Then at 10 pm, twice a day. Discontinuation time point not specified Control group (standard care) Randomized, n = 103; losses = 0; analysed, n = 103 Details: standard care, no beta‐blocker treatment given
Outcomes	Outcomes measured/reported by study authors: supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias (to include 'runs of ventricular tachycardia'), length of hospital stay, mortality; MI; adverse events leading to discontinuation of treatment (to include asthma, mild heart failure, bradycardia, reduction in cardiac index, sinus tachycardia, moderate hypertension, ventricular extrasystoles) Outcomes relevant to the review: AF; length of hospital stay (see notes below), mortality; MI
Notes	Funding/declarations of interest: not reported Study dates: not reported Note: we did not include outcome data in analysis for bradycardia because we could not be certain whether data were measured in each group; study authors reported 1 participant had bradycardia in the intervention group we did not include outcome data in analysis for length of hospital stay because data were not sufficiently reported. Study reported an 'average hospital stay' of 10 days in each group we did not include 'runs of ventricular tachycardia' in analysis of ventricular arrhythmias because these were not sustained
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	High risk	Quote: "Blocked randomization in a prospective open manner"
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	High risk	Blocked randomization in an unblinded trial
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Open‐label trial
Blinding of outcome assessors (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Open‐label trial
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No apparent losses
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Study authors did not report prospective clinical trial registration or publication of a protocol. It was not feasible to effectively assess risk of reporting bias
Other bias	High risk	Quote: "In patients with sustained SVT, trial medication was stopped and patients were treated according to the physician in charge by amiodarone or digitalization, or both, beta‐blockers, sotalol, or an increased dose of sotalol" Comment: in the control group, 15 participants were treated with beta‐blockers as rescue therapy for different reasons. This could influence outcome data