Prophylactic digitalization for thoracotomy: a reassessment.

A prospective, controlled, randomized clinical study of 140 patients undergoing elective thoracic operations over a period of 1 year in a regional referral unit was performed in which one group received digoxin and the other did not. The incidence of cardiac arrhythmia was compared in each group. Overall mortality was 5.7%. There was no significant difference in incidence of cardiac arrhythmia in each group, and we conclude that the prophylactic use of digoxin in elective thoracic operations should be revised.