Prognosis of β-adrenergic blockade therapy on septic shock and sepsis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies

[Display omitted] •A meta-analysis was to explore efficacy of β-blocker in septic shock and sepsis.•A total of 6 studies related to 5 original RCTs were qualified.•β-blocker esmolol is safe and effective in improving 28-day mortality.•Esmolol controls ventricular rate in patients with sepsis after fluid resuscitation.•β-blocker of esmolol has no significant adverse effect on tissue perfusion. β-adrenoceptor antagonist (β-blocker) may have potential in the treatment of septic shock and sepsis. However, the relevant research findings are still controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the efficacy of β-blocker in patients with septic shock and sepsis. The primary sources of the reviewed studies through August 2018, with restriction on the language of English, were Pubmed and Embase. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) were included to evaluate the efficacy of β-blocker in the treatment of septic shock and sepsis. Meta analysis was performed using a random effect model. Two researchers independently searched articles, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies. A total of 6 studies related to 5 original RCTs were qualified for inclusion in this systematic review and meta-analysis with a total of 363 patients with sepsis and/or septic shock. β-blocker was associated with a significantly decreased 28-day mortality compared to usual treatment group as the control (RR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.48, 0.74; P