Anti-Arrhythmia Drugs Flashcards
Broadly, what do all class I drugs do?
Block fast sodium channel
Slow the rate of rise of phase 0 of active potential
Decrease excitability and conduction velocity
Block channels in tachycardic, and ischemic cardiomyocytes more effectively than channels in normal tissues
Use-dependent or state-dependent phenomena
Class IA mechanism
Intermediately bind to activated Na channels and block K channels
Decreases phase 0
Inhibits phase 3
Class IA effect
Decrease Vmax
Prolong APD
Prolong QRS and QT
Class IB mechanism
Binds to inactivated Na channel, blocking the Na window current
Binds and releases rapidly
Class IB effect
No effect on Vmax
Decreased APD
Class IC mechanism
Binds to activated Na channels
Bind and release is slow
Reduces phase 0 of action potential
Class IC effect
Largely decreased Vmax
No effect on APD
Prolong QRS
Normal QT
Use of class IA drug quinidine
Treatment for atrial, AV junctional and ventricular tachy arrhythmias
When used for a-fib, digoxin must be used first to slow A-V conduction
Explain the tachycardia side effect of quinidine
Block muscarinic receptor: may increase HR and A-V conduction
Block α1 receptor: may cause postural hypotension and reflex tachycardia
How do P450 inducers and inhibitors affect quinidine?
Quinidine effect is decreased by P450 inducers, and is enhanced by P450 inhibitors.
ADR of quinidine
Large doses may result in cinchonism (blurred vision, tinnitus, headache, disorientation and psychosis)
Severe anticholinergic side effects.
Hypotension
Prolong Q-T interval associated with torsades de point
What is the benefit of using procainamide over other class IA drugs?
No anti-muscarinic or anti-alpha effects
How is procainamide metabolized?
Via acetyltransferase it is metabolized to N-acetyl procainamide, which prolongs the duration of the action potential
ADR of procainamide
Reversible lupus erythematous like syndrome
Torsades de point, asystole or ventricular arrhythmias (due to prolonged QT)
Depression, hallucination, psychosis (high doses)
When is disopyramide (class IA) used?
Ventricular arrhythmias
ADR of disopyramide
Anticholinergic effects (stronger than quinidine) Negative inotropic effects (decreased myocardial contractility)
Disopyramide is contraindicated in:
Heart failure
MOA of lidocaine
Blocks sodium channel at inactivated state, but bind and release so quickly, no effect to Vmax. Lidocaine exerts greater effects in depolarized (e.g., ischemic) cardiocytes, to decrease excitation and abolishes ventricular reentry.
Is not useful in atrial arrhythmias possibly because atrial action potentials are so short that the Na+ channel is in the inactivated state only briefly.
Shortens phase 3 repolarization and decreases APD due to inhibiting the slow Na+ “window” current.