Study designs of evaluations included in the review
9 double-blind trials and one single-blind clinical trial. The results of two meta-analyses of these studies are also reported.
Specific interventions included in the review
Intravenous magnesium administered in pharmacological doses. Dosage varied between 12 and 92 mmol magnesium sulfate or magnesium chloride, given in one dose or in separate doses on 3 successive days.
Participants included in the review
Patients with confirmed or suspected MI. All but one study included only patients with proven MI. The mean age of patients in the studies varied from 50 to 68 years. The majority of patients in both control and treatment groups in the included studies were male.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Mortality during follow-up period (ranging mainly from 24 hours to 35 days). Arrhythmias (including ventricular or atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia and bradycardia) during follow-up period. Side-effects of treatment. Follow-up period mainly ranged from 24 hours to 28 days.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors do not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the authors performed the selection.