Summary
477 patients suspected of acute myocardial infarction, with onset of less than 12 hours, were randomised to a control group or a group receiving intravenous atenolol followed by oral treatment for 10 days. In patients with electrocardiographic (ECG) changes of infarction at entry, intravenous atenolol significantly reduced enzyme release by one- third and enhanced R wave preservation. In patients without ECG changes of infarction at entry, treatment significantly prevented the development of infarction in a proportion of patients.
There was also a significant reduction in R- on- T ectopics, repetitive ventricular arrhythmias and supraventricular arrhythmias. Treated patients had greater pain relief and required less opiate analgesics. Fewer atenolol- treated patients died at 1 week, had non- fatal cardiac arrests, developed heart failure, or suffered reinfarction.
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Yusuf, S., Rossi, P., Ramsdale, D. et al. Reduction in Infarct Size, Arrhythmias, Chest Pain and Morbidity by Early Intravenous β-Blockade in Suspected Acute Myocardial Infarction. Drugs 25 (Suppl 2), 303–307 (1983). https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-198300252-00090
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-198300252-00090