Cardiac Rhythm Drugs COPY Flashcards
Exam 1
What is conductivity? simple
Ability to pass an impulse through
What characteristic do cardiac cells have?
They have their own unique characteristics that allow them to regulate the heart rate and rhythm
What are the properties of cardiac cells?
Automaticity, excitability, conductivity, contractility
What is automaticity? simple
generates their own electric impulse
What is excitability? simple
Ability to receive an impulse
What is conductivity? applied
ability of cardiac cells to transmit the electrical impulse to adjacent heart cells
What is contractility? simple
Ability to shrink and squeeze the movement of the heart
Where do pacemaker cells usually exist?
SA Node, AV junction, Purkinje fibers
What is automaticity? applied
Pacing function/ability of cardiac pacemaker cells to spontaneously initiate an electrical impulse
T/F You would choose to medicate a patient before shocking a patient during a code.
TRUE
What is excitability? applied
Ability to respond to electrical impulses generated by the pacemaker cells or other external stimuli
What can cause a excitability in any cardiac cell?
Mechanical, chemical, or electrical impulses
What happens when impulses travel too fast or too slow?
Dysrhythmia occurs
T/F Contractility is a electrical event, not mechanical?
False, contractility is a mechanical event
What is contractility? applied
ability of cardiac cells to shorten in response to electrical stimulation
Which event causes the heart to squeeze blood out to the body?
depolarization start the contraction, causing the heart to squeeze blood out to body
What is PEA?
Conductivity without contraction
Name three drugs that enhance contractility.
Digoxin, dopamine, and epinephrine
How does Digoxin affect heart rate and contractility?
Slows HR and increase strength of contractility
Why is Dopamine not the first choice for septic patients?
Increase HR, which may be already fast
What is the effect of Epinephrine on conductivity and contractility?
Increase conductivity and contractility
How does Levophed primarily work?
Vasoconstriction, then moves to the heart
What does PEA stand for?
Pulseless electrical activity
How do you treat PEA?
Like Asystole with Epinephrine
What does PEA look like?
Looks like a sinus rhythm, BUT patient has NO pulse
What is cardiac action potential?
Change in electrical charge inside cardiac cell when stimulated
What are the three events that occur during cardiac action potential?
Polarization, Depolarization, Repolarization
What is an action potential?
Change in electrical potential
Where does an action potential occur?
Along the membrane of a muscle cell or nerve cell
What is polarization?
Electrical state when cardia cell membrane is at rest
What is happening during polarization?
No electrical activity
What does an ECG display during polarization?
Iso-electric line baseline” “
What is depolarization?
Opposite of polarization – when the actual contraction occurs
What causes depolarization?
Reversal of electrical charges at the cell membrane
What is the significance of depolarization in the cardiac muscle?
Results in a contraction of the cardiac muscle
What does atrial depolarization represent?
P wave
What does ventricular depolarization represent?
QRS
What is the refractory period?
Unresponsiveness from nerve or muscle after stimulation
What is the resistance of the cell membrane to a stimulus called?
Refractory period
What are the three kinds of refractory period?
Absolute, relative, supernormal
What is the absolute refractory period?
Brief period when cells will not respond to further stimulation
When does the absolute refractory period occur in the cardiac rhythm?
From the beginning of the QRS to the peak of the T wave
What does the absolute refractory period mean for cardiac contractions?
Nothing can interfere with a cardiac contraction once it has started
What is the key requirement for administering a shock in cardioversion?
Synchronization with the QRS complex
When would cells in the relative refractory period respond?
the cells may respond if there is a “stronger than normal” stimulus
T/F absolute refractory period only goes thorough the first half of the T wave?
TRUE
What is the relative refractory period also known as?
vulnerable period
When does the relative refractory period occur?
when some cells have repolarized
and end of t wave
What can happen if there is a stronger-than-normal stimulus during the relative refractory period?
R on T phenomenon