Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common arrhythmia, reported in the hemodynamically unstable patients in the intensive care unit. Loss of atrial contraction and the sequential atrioventricular contraction decrease the overall cardiac output which results in severe inadequate tissue perfusion. Medications aim for rate and rhythm control are recommended to treat new onset atrial fibrillation. These drugs (verapamil, diltiazem, amiodarone and beta blockers) may further compromise the patients' cardiac output by its' negative inotropic effect.~Magnesium sulphate with the cell membrane threshold potential stabilizing effect has been reported as an effective drug for rate and rhythm control for post-operative atrial fibrillation and the atrial fibrillation presented in the hospital emergency unit. However, there was inadequate data about the efficacy of Magnesium sulphate for treatment of new onset atrial fibrillation in the hemodynamically unstable patients admitted in the medical intensive care unit.
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of Magnesium sulphate for the rate and rhythm control of the new onset (within 48 hours) atrial fibrillation in the hemodynamically unstable patients, admitted in the medical intensive care unit patients.