RT Book, Section
A1 Shields, Sara H.
A1 Holland, Rachel M.
A1 Small, Benjamin
A2 Tintinalli, Judith E.
A2 Ma, O. John
A2 Yealy, Donald M.
A2 Meckler, Garth D.
A2 Stapczynski, J. Stephan
A2 Cline, David M.
A2 Thomas, Stephen H.
SR Print(0)
ID 1166527522
T1 Pharmacology of Antiarrhythmics and Antihypertensives
T2 Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 9e
YR 2020
FD 2020
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781260019933
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1166527522
RD 2024/04/19
AB This  chapter  reviews  common  antiarrhythmic  and  antihypertensive  medications  administered  in  the  ED.  Acute  medical  conditions  presenting  with  systemic  hypertension  and  the  specific  recommended  antihypertensive  agents  are  presented  in  Chapter  57,  “Systemic  Hypertension.”  Antiarrhythmic  medications  treat  cardiac  rhythm  abnormalities  by  modifying  autonomic  function  or  myocardial  ion  channels,  leading  to  changes  in  conduction  velocity  or  duration  of  the  effective  refractory  period.1  Long-term  use  of  these  agents  to  prevent  arrhythmias  has  not  been  proven  to  reduce  mortality2-5;  however,  this  chapter  focuses  on  medications  used  for  acute  pharmacologic  conversion  or  rate  control  of  common  arrhythmias.  In  general,  electrical  cardioversion  is  preferable  to  pharmacologic  conversion  in  patients  who  are  hemodynamically  unstable.  The  majority  of  antiarrhythmics  are  organized  based  on  the  Vaughan-Williams  classification  system  (classes  I  to  IV)  (Table  19-1).  This  chapter  also  discusses  the  emergency  applications  of  atropine,  adenosine,  magnesium,  and  isoproterenol.