Early Intravenous Beta-Blockade in Acute Myocardial Infarction

The clinical effects of early intravenous beta-blockade followed by short-term oral treatment in acute myocardial infarction (MI) have been studied in 30 randomized trials totaling almost 28,000 patients. This treatment reduces the incidence of infarction by 10-15% in patients with threatened MI, reduces infarct size by 20-30%; reduces the incidence of nonfatal reinfarction, nonfatal cardiac arrest and mortality each by about 15%. Treatment has …