Anti-Arrhythmia Drugs Flashcards
What are the Vaughn-William class 1 drugs we have to know?
1A- Quinidine (Na channel blocker)
1B- Lidocaine (Na channel blocker)
1C- Flecainide (Na channel blocker)
What are the Vaughn-William class 2 drugs?
They are the B-blockers.
- Metoprolol
- Propanolol
What are the Vaughn-William class 3 drugs?
These are the K-channel blockers.
- Amiodarone
- Dofetilide
What are the Vaughn William class 4 drugs?
Ca-channel blockers.
- Verapamil
- Diltiazem
Nifedipine does not have a strong affect on arrhythmias.
What are the 6 main types of antiarrhythmic drugs?
- Na channel blockers
- B blockers
- K channel blockers
- Calcium channel blockers
- Digoxin (cardiac glycoside)
- Adenosine
What are the 4 main goals of antiarrhythmia drugs?
- prevent SCD
- diminish symptoms
- diminish complications secondary to arrhythmias (emboli, syncope, hypotension)
- suppress arrhythmic events in patients with ICD to prevent excessive firing of the device
Treatment of arrhythmias uses a combination of invasive, non-invasive and pharmacological measures. _____________ and _______ therapy currently plats a more important role than __________ therapy.
Procudures and device-based play a more important role than drug-based.
How are class I antiarrhythmic drugs subdivided? Which is the most effective at terminating and preventing arrhythmias?
A- intermediate dissociation rate (Quinidine)
B- fast dissociation rates (lidocaine)
C- slow dissociation rates (flecainide)- MOST EFFECTIVE AT TREATING ARRHYTHMIA
What is the method of action of quinidine? What class of drug is it? What are the electrophysiological effects?
It is a class 1A antiarrhythmic that blocks Na channels (predominantly) and K channels. It has intermediate dissociation.
- lengthen the QT interval
- widen QRS
- raise threshold
- increase effective refractory period
What is the main therapeutic use of Quinidine?
What are the adverse effects?
It maintains sinus rhythm in a patient with atrial flutter or fibrillation to prevent V tach and V fib.
It is RARELY used.
Adversely- since it prolongs QT it can lead to Torsades des Pointes.
What is class of Lidocaine? What is the mechanism of action? What are the electrophysiological effects?
It is a class 1B antiarrythmic. It blocks Na channels exclusively. (has a fast dissociation)
- raise threshold
- decrease automaticity
- increase effective refractory period
Why doesn’t lidocaine work for atrial arrhythmias?
It has a fast dissociation rates, so it only is able to inhibit Na channels for a brief period.
What are the therapeutic uses of lidocaine? What are the adverse effects?
Therapy-
1. acute IV therapy for ventricular arrhythmia
Adverse Effect-
Survival was found to be WORSE with lidocaine
What class of drug is flecainide? What is the mechanism of action? What are the electrophysiological effects?
It is a class IC antiarrhythmia drug. It binds Na channels to block AND K channels. It may also weakly block Ca channels
- increased threshold
- increased effective refractory period
- slowed conduction (Na block)
- slowed repolarization (K block)
What changes would you see on an EKG of someone taking flecainide?
- Prolonged PR
- Wide QRS
- Long QT interval
What is the therapeutic use for flecainide?
What are the adverse effects?
- PSVT
- Atrial flutter and A. fib in patients WITHOUT structural heart disease
Adverse effects:
- new or worse arrhythmia (VT, VF, torsade de pointes)
- Increase ventricular rate in a patient with Atrial flutter
- worsen CHF, MI
What class of drug is amiodarone? What is the mechanism of action?
It is a class III drug and blocks K channels (mainly) but has slight effect on Na and Ca channels. It also non-competitively blocks adrenergic receptors.