| Calcium channel blockers |
| Diltiazem (Cardizem) | 15 to 20 mg IV over 2 minutes; may repeat in 15 minutes | 5 to 15 mg per hour by continuous IV infusion | Convenient; easy to titrate to heart rate goal |
| Verapamil (Calan, Isoptin) | 5 to 10 mg IV over 2 minutes; may repeat in 30 minutes | Not standardized | More myocardial depression and hypotension than with diltiazem |
| Beta blockers |
| Esmolol (Brevibloc) | Bolus of 500 mcg per kg IV over 1 minute; may repeat in 5 minutes | 50 to 300 mcg per kg per minute by continuous IV infusion | Very short-acting; easy to titrate to heart rate goal |
| Propranolol (Inderal) | 1 mg IV over 2 minutes; may repeat every 5 minutes to maximum of 5 mg | 1 to 3 mg IV every 4 hours | Short duration of action; hence, need for repeat dosing |
| Digoxin (Lanoxin) | 0.25 to 0.5 mg IV; then 0.25 mg IV every 4 to 6 hours to maximum of 1 mg | 0.125 to 0.25 mg per day IV or orally | Adjunctive therapy; less effective for rate control than beta blockers or calcium channel blockers |