[The use of esmolol in patients with myocardial infarction complicated with acute left ventricular failure].

Forty patients with acute Q-wave myocardial infarction and Killip class I-II heart failure were randomized to treatment with esmolol (n=22) or just to standard therapy (n=18) and followed up for 30 days. Esmolol treated patients had significantly lower in-hospital mortality (p<0.02), less frequently had postinfarction angina (p<0.05) and heart failure progression (p<0.01) and demonstrated significant decrease of brain natriuretic peptide level (by 25%, p<0.05). Incidence of heart rhythm disturbances and values of parameters of echocardiogram were similar in both groups.