Conclusion
Meta-analysis of the effects of N-acetylcysteine in preventing acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery is questionable due to the different dosage and different treatment time periods across different studies. However, further analysis shows that perioperative high dosages of N-acetylcysteine showed a significant protective effect in preventing renal failure after adult cardiac surgery. Therefore, analysis of primary outcomes confirms the protective effect of N-acetylcysteine. It is recommended that N-acetylcysteine should be administered with beta blockers such as carvedilol to maximise patient outcomes. Further randomized controlled trials should be conducted to examine the effects of administering high dosages of N-acetylcysteine with beta blocker agents perioperatively. This would better elucidate the benefits of administering N-acetylcysteine in order to maximise patient outcomes.