Persistent wheezing caused by carvedilol overdose in a non‐asthmatic man

Background: Cardiovascular dysfunction is the main manifestation of beta-blocker intoxication; however, respiratory manifestations have rarely been reported. Case Presentation: A 41-year-old man, who had ingested 300 mg carvedilol in a suicide attempt, was transferred to our emergency department. The patient had wheezing on arrival; however, he had no known history of bronchial asthma. In the absence of signs of heart failure, we gave the patient inhaled procaterol, a short-acting beta2 agonist. The wheezing disappeared approximately 60 h after carvedilol ingestion and did not recur thereafter. Conclusion: We report a case of wheezing caused by carvedilol intoxication. Although rare, clinicians should recognize that wheezing or bronchospasm can develop following beta-blocker intoxication, for which a short-acting beta2 agonist could be indicated.