Liu 2016.

Methods	RCT, parallel design
Participants	Total number of randomized participants: 24 Inclusion criteria: 40‐80 years of age; undergoing elective primary cardiac surgery; NYHA class II or III; no evidence of myocardial ischaemia or elevated serum levels of myocardial markers within 24 h prior to surgery Exclusion criteria: diagnosis of acute MI within the last 4 weeks; activated phase of rheumatic diseases; left ventricular ejection fraction < 40%; intracardiac shunt; haematocrit < 30%; severe systemic diseases (including pulmonary diseases, hepatic, renal, musculoskeletal diseases or immune system illnesses; receiving oral hypoglycaemic agents or theophyllines Type of surgery: cardiac surgery (CABG or valve replacement) Baseline characteristics Intervention group (esmolol) Age, mean (SD): 58.9 (± 9.8) years Gender, M/F: 8/4 NYHA class II/III: 4/8 History of hypertension, n: 8 Ejection fraction, mean (SD), %: 52.7 (± 6) Preoperative use of beta‐blockers, n: 1 Control group (saline) Age, mean (SD): 62.1 (± 7.1) years Gender, M/F: 6/6 NYHA class II/III: 4/8 History of hypertension, n: 8 Ejection fraction, mean (SD), %: 55.8 (± 3.2) Preoperative use of beta‐blockers, n: 0 Country: China Setting: single centre; hospital
Interventions	Intervention group (esmolol) Randomized, n = 12; losses = 0; analysed, n = 12 Details: 70 µg/kg/min during surgery until end of cardiopulmonary bypass, doses titrated to maintain HR within 80% of baseline level Control group (saline) Randomized, n = 12; losses = 0; analysed, n = 12 Details: equal volumes of normal saline, given same as the intervention group
Outcomes	Outcomes measured/reported by study authors: changes in serum markers for myocardial injury; haemodynamic parameters; use of vasoactive treatment; adverse events (neurological complications; pulmonary infection; incision infection; pericardial tamponade; open‐chest haemostasis; death); AF; length of stay in the ICU Outcomes relevant to the review: mortality (during ICU stay); AF
Notes	Funding/declarations of interest: not reported Study dates: not reported
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Use of computer‐generated randomization
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	See above
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Control group is not described as using a placebo. It is unclear whether anaesthetists were blinded to study treatments
Blinding of outcome assessors (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not specified
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	Low risk	Not detected