Antiarrhythmic Flashcards
- Define cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac excitability.
Cardiac arrhythmia → loss of cardiac rhythm due to (1) disturbance in impulse formation, (2) disturbance in impulse conduction, (3) both
Cardiac excitability → ease with which cardiac cells undergo sequential depol and repol, communication with adjacent cells and propagation of electrical activity.
- What is the fast and slow response cardiac action potentials?
Fast → atria, ventricles, purkinje fibers [tissues that depend on VG, rapid opening sodium channels to initiate depolarization]
Slow → SA and AV node
- What are the different phases of “fast response” cardiac action potentials?
Phase 0 → rapid depolarization due to VG Na+ channels opening then inactivating. Calcium channels also open during depolarization but the influx of calcium is much slower.
Phase 1 → when inactivation of Na+ channels occur, there is opening of transient K+ channels causing a small, temporary repolarization
Phase 2 → L-type Ca2+ channels open when membrane is depolarized to -50mV allowing Ca2+ to flow in to the cell. The influx of calcium matches the efflux of potassium in this stage causing membrane potential to remain relatively constant
Phase 3 → outwardly rectifying K+ channels open during phase 3 whereas Na+ and Ca2+ channels become fully inactivated, this causes rapid repolarization
Phase 4 → resting membrane potential which is maintained by inward rectifying K+ channels which permit outflux of K+ at negative potentials and there is the reactivation of sodium channels
- What is the refractory pd?
Absolute refractory pd → depolarization is not possible
Relative refractory pd → after partial but incomplete repolarization, depolarization can be possible, but occur slowly
- What are the different phases of “Slow response” cardiac action potentials?
Phase 0 → depolarization by L-type Ca2+ channels
Phase 3 → repolarization
Phase 4 → spontaneous depolarization
- What are the different categories of arrhythmias?
- tachycardia
- bradycardia
- fibrillation (asynchronously)
- supraventricular (atrial or AV junctional)
- ventricular
- What is an afterdepolarization?
Occurs when a normal action potential triggers abnormal depolarizations that reach threshold causing a secondary upstroke that can propagate and create abnormal rhythms. There are two types of afterdepolarizations: early afterdepolarizations (EADs) or delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs).
EADs → occur during phase 2 (due to inward Ca2+ current) or phase 3 (partially recovered Na+ channels conducting an inward Na+ current) – these EADs cause a prolonged cardiac AP leading to torsades de pointes (arrhythmias)
DADs → interruption in phase 4 post repolarization [mechanism not well understood]
- What are re-entry tachyarrhythmias?
Post MI, there is a dead zone in the myocardium that prevents conduction of electrical impulses of the myocytes, but allows conduction through them without the stimulation. Once the AP moves through, it is unable to move back through creating a unidirectional blockade. If APs can continue to be assed through this is called “re-entry” AP where the healthy myocardium is being reactivated.
- What are the different types of arrhythmias beginning in the SA node through the ventricles?
- SA node dysfunction → slow heart rhythm due to abnormal SA node [tx requires pacemaker]
- Premature atrial contraction → early extra beats originating in the atria [do not require tx]
- Atrial fibrillation → irregular heart rhythm resulting in atria contracting abnormally
- Atrial flutter → arrhythmia caused by one or more rapid circuits in the atrium
- Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) → skipped beats due to stress, exercise, nicotine, etc [no treatment required]
- Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) → rapid heart rate with regular rhythm originated from above the ventricles [two types: accessory path or AV nodal re-entry]
- V-tach → rapid heart rhythm originating from ventricles [tx required immediately]
- V-fib → erratic, disorganized firing of impulses from ventricles [medical emergency]
- What are the different non-drug antiarrhythmic therapies?
- Electrical cardioversion → electrical shock to re-synchronize the heart and reset normal rhythm
- Pacemaker → small electrical impulses to heart muscle to maintain suitable heart rate
- Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) → tx V-tach and V-fib that delivers energy to reset heart
- Catheter ablation → tx PSCTs, atrial flutter, a-fib and other tachycardias by disconnecting abnormal pathways
- What are the goals of antiarrhythmic drugs?
- termination of ongoing arrhythmia
2. prevention of arrhythmia
- What is the goal to treatment of abnormal automaticity?
Decrease slow of phase 4 depolarization or raise the threshold of discharge to a less negative voltage thereby decreasing frequency of discharge
- What is the goal to treatment of re-entrant circuits?
Slow conduction and/or increase refractory pd
- What is the goal to treatment of afterdepolarizations?
Slowing conduction and/or increasing refractory pd making cells less excitable
- What are the different classes of drugs used to treat Arrhythmias?
- Class I → Na+ channel blockers
a. Class IA → quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide
b. Class IB → lidocaine, mexiletine
c. Class IC → flecainide, propafenone - Class II → B-blockers – propranolol, metoprolol, esmolol
- Class III → K+ channel blockers – Amiodarone, Sotalol, dofetilide
- Class IV → Ca2+ channel blockers – verapamil, diltiazem
- Miscellaneous → digoxin, Magnesium, atropine, adenosine