Cardiovascular pharmacology

Question 1

Chronotropic drugs

Answer 1

Affect the heart rate.
Positive chronotopic drugs increase the heart rate,
negative chronotropic drugs decrease the heart rate.

Question 2

Inotropic drugs

Answer 2

Affect the strength of heart contractions.
-Positive inotropic drug improves the strength
-Negative inotropic drug decreases the strength

Question 3

Diseases of the heart include the followcing:

Answer 3

Valvular disease
Cardiac arrhythmias
Myocardial disease (heart muscle problems)
Congenital problems (problems the animal has had since birth)

Question 4

Treatment principles of cardiac disease include the following:

Answer 4

Control rhythm disturbances
Maintain or increase cardiac output
Relieve fluid accumulations in the body or the lungs
Increase oxygenation of blood (via bronchodilation)
Other treatments including sedatives or oxygen

Question 5

Cardiac glycosides

Answer 5

Increase the strength of contraction by increasing the level of calcium ions available to the heart muscle, which helps the heart muscle contract more vigorously.

Example- digitalis

Question 6

Catecholamines (cardiac pharmacology)

Answer 6

Act by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system to

Increase the force and rate of heart contractions
Constrict peripheral blood vessels
Elevate blood glucose levels
Catecholamines don’t last very long and are primarily used for cardiac resuscitation.

Examples - epinephrine, dopamine

Question 7

Side effects of cateolamines

Answer 7

include hypertension, arrhythmias, and excitability.

Question 8

Bipyridine derivatives, (cardiac pharmacology)

Answer 8

work by inhibiting enzymes that lead to an increase in cellular calcium.
Bipyridine derivatives are a relatively new class of drug not commonly used in veterinary medicine.

Kidney and liver

Question 9

Vasodilator drugs for cardiology - (3 types)

Answer 9

Heart issues often lead to constriction of arteries to improve perfusion. Long term this puts strain on the heart.

Arteriolar dilators (that dilate arteries)
Venodilators (that dilate veins)
Combined vasodilators (that dilate arteries and veins)

Dilation can occur by blocking smooth muscle contraction in blood vessels or blocking the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone syndrome with an ACE inhibitor.

Question 10

Side effects of ACE inhibitors include the following:

Answer 10

Hypotension
Azotemia
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Hyperkalemia (sometimes)

Question 11

Diuretics (cardiology)

Answer 11

act to reduce the total plasma volume in the body, lowering the preload through diuresis.
Most work by inhibiting the reabsorption of sodium and water in the kidneys.
often combined with other cardiac drugs to treat various conditions.

Question 12

Treatments for heart failure include (5 general things)

Answer 12

Bronchodilators
Oxygen therapy
Sedation to relieve anxiety and stop hyperventilation
Thoracocentesis and abdominocentesis (temporary solution)
Aspirin has been advocated to help prevent blood clot formation and to relieve inflammation.