Effect of ultrashort-acting β-blockers on 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis with persistent tachycardia despite initial resuscitation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and trial sequential analysis

This meta-analysis aims to identify whether patients with sepsis who have persistent tachycardia despite initial resuscitation can benefit from ultrashort-acting β-blockers. Relevant studies from MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched by two independent investigators. RevMan version 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration) was used for statistical analysis. A total of 10 studies were identified and incorporated into the meta-analysis. The results showed that the administration of ultrashort-acting β-blockers (esmolol/landiolol) in patients with sepsis with persistent tachycardia despite initial resuscitation was significantly associated with a lower 28-day mortality rate (risk ratio RR, 0.73; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.57-0.93; and p˂0.01). Subgroup analysis showed that the administration of esmolol in patients with sepsis was significantly associated with a lower 28-day mortality rate (RR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.55-0.84; and p˂0.001), while there was no significant difference between the landiolol and control groups (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.41-2.34; and p = 0.96). No significant differences between the two groups were found in 90-day mortality, mean arterial pressure (MAP), lactate (Lac) level, cardiac index (CI), and troponin I (TnI) at 24 h after enrollment. The meta-analysis indicated that the use of esmolol in patients with persistent tachycardia, despite initial resuscitation, was linked to a notable reduction in 28-day mortality rates. Therefore, this study advocates for the consideration of esmolol in the treatment of sepsis in cases where tachycardia persists despite initial resuscitation.