Table 2. Drugs for rate control.

Drug	Route	Typical dose	Contra-indications	References
â-blockers
Metoprolol (tartrate)	Oral	25–100 mg, BID	Acute pulmonary oedema, heart failure, asthma, severe atrioventricular block and severely depressed patients	17, 28
Metoprolol (succinate)	Oral	50–400 mg, QD
Bisoprolol	Oral	2.5–10 mg, QD
Atenolol	Oral	25–100 mg, QD
ND-CCBs
Diltiazem	Oral	120–360 mg QD	Severe hypotension, cardiogenic shock, second- or third-degree atrioventricular block or sick sinus syndrome without a pacemaker, patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and decompensated heart failure owing to their negative inotropic effects	17, 21, 28
	IV	0.25 mg/kg IV bolus over 2 min, then 5–15 mg/h
Verapamil	Oral	120–480 mg QD
	IV	(0.075–0.15 mg/kg) IV bolus over 2 min, then 0.005 mg/kg/min infusion
Digitalis glycosides
Digoxin	Oral	0.125–0.25 mg QD	Ventricular tachycardia, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy	17, 21, 28
	IV	0.25 mg IV with repeat dosing to a maximum of 1.5 mg over 24 h
Specific indications
Amiodarone	Oral	100–200 mg QD	Severe sinus node dysfunction, second- or third-degree atrioventricular block or bundle branch disease, syncope caused by bradycardia	21, 28
	IV	300 mg IV over 1 h, then 10–50 mg/h over 24 h

QD, once daily; BID, twice daily; IV, intravenous.