Beta-blocker use in elderly ED patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Despite the effectiveness of early beta-blocker (BB) use in reducing mortality in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), they remain underutilized in the emergency department (ED) management of AMI. The elderly, with higher AMI mortality, and women, may be particularly vulnerable to underutilization of BB.

Objective: To determine the effect of age and gender on BB use in AMI in the ED.