Landiolol is effective for the treatment of tachycardia-induced cardiogenic shock in patients during septic shock therapy.

Septic shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the blood pressure drops to a low level after an infection. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia to complicate its course. Beta (β)-blockers are often administrated to manage supraventricular tachyarrhythmias observed in patients presenting with sepsis. A 74-year-old woman presenting with sepsis demonstrated AF tachycardia characterised by severe hypotension. She was refractory to conventional therapy including verapamil and digoxin; therefore, treatment using landiolol (an ultrashort-acting β-blocker) was initiated. Her clinical course was followed over 48 hours, and she showed a significant improvement in her heart rate and blood pressure without any adverse effect. Landiolol can rapidly control the accelerated heart rate associated with AF in critically decompensated patients presenting with septic shock. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.