"Effect of Heart Rate Control With Esmolol on Hemodynamic and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Septic Shock"
JAMA Oct 2013
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1752246 
"Conclusions and Relevance  For patients in septic shock, open-label use of esmolol vs standard care was associated with reductions in heart rates to achieve target levels, without increased adverse events. The observed improvement in mortality and other secondary clinical outcomes warrants further investigation."