Esmolol: a review of its use in the short-term treatment of tachyarrhythmias and the short-term control of tachycardia and hypertension.
Supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (including atrial fibrillation), hypertension and tachycardia in the perioperative setting, and acute ischaemic heart disease are generally agreed to require rapid attention and treatment. Prolonged tachyarrhythmia or hypertension can result in significant morbidity, such as cerebrovascular events, myocardial infarction and other end-organ damage. This article reviews the clinical efficacy and tolerability of intravenous infusions of esmolol for the short-term treatment of tachyarrhythmias and the short-term control of tachycardia and hypertension, and provides an overview of the pharmacological properties of the drug. Esmolol, a cardioselective β-blocker, has been proven effective in the control of elevated haemodynamic parameters in patients with supraventricular tachyarrhythmia, hypertension and tachycardia in the perioperative setting, and acute ischaemic heart disease, as well as being associated with a reduced risk of some clinical sequelae to increased haemodynamic parameters. Esmolol is, moreover, generally well tolerated; while it is associated with an increased risk of hypotension, this is rapidly reversible. Definitive conclusions on the efficacy of esmolol are difficult to reach, as most trials investigating esmolol have limitations such as small patient populations, and few studies investigate the same parameters. Ideally, several further studies would be beneficial; however, as esmolol is a well established, older drug, these are less likely to occur. Despite this, esmolol, as a fast-acting, rapidly reversible, easily titratable β-blocker, is an established option for the short-term treatment of tachyarrhythmias and the short-term control of tachycardia and hypertension.