Drugs for Cardiac Arrhythmia Flashcards
Types of Anti-arrhythmic drugs
Class 1 = Na+ channel blockers
Class 2 = Beta blockers
Class 3 = K+ channell blockers
Class 4 = Cardioactive Ca++ channel blockers
Miscellaneous = Adenosine
Class 1 antiarrhythmics are Na+ channel blocking drugs. What drugs are included in this class?
Class 1A = quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide
Class 1B = lidocaine, mexiletine
Class 1C = flecainide, propafenone
Class 2 anti-arrhythmics are beta blockers. What drugs are included in this class?
Esmolol
Propranalol
Class 3 antiarrhythmics are K+ channel blockers. What drugs are included in this class?
Amiodarone
Sotalol
Dofetilide
Ibutilide
Class 4 antiarrhythmics are the cardioactive calcium channel blockers. What drugs are included in this class?
Verapamil
Diltiazam
Ions responsible for phases of fast APs in cardiac muscle (ventricles, atria, purkinje fibers)
Phase 0: Na+ in (via voltage-dependent fast Na channels)
Phase 1: K+ out
Phase 2: plateau d/t K+ out = Ca++ in
Phase 3: K+ out (Ca channels close)
Phase 4: resting potential restored by Na/K pump
Ions responsible for phases of slow APs in cardiac pacemaker(s) — SA and AV node
Phase 4: slow spontaneous depol d/t slow Na leak in (some slow Ca influx via T-type channels)
Phase 0: Ca influx through L-type Ca channels
Phase 3: repolarization via K+ efflux
Factors that determine firing rate or automaticity of pacemaker AP
Rate of spontaneous depol in phase 4 (i.e., slope) — decreased slope = decreased rate; need more time to reach threshold
Threshold potential — potential at which AP is triggered
Resting potential — if potential is less negative, firing rate increases
In terms of class 1 antiarrhythmics (sodium channel blockers), most therapeutically useful drugs block ______ or ______ Na channels, with very little affinity towards channels in a _____state
Activated; inactivated; resting
MOA of Class 1A drugs
Block sodium channels, slow impulse conduction, reduce automatism of latent (ectopic) pacemakers
State-dependent block —preferentially bind to open (activated) sodium channels); ectopic pacemaker cells with faster rhythms will be preferentially targeted!
The kinetics of dissociation determine how quickly drugs dissociate from the channel and thus the duration of the block. Class 1A drugs dissociate from Na channel with ____ kinetics; they also block _____ channels
Intermediate; K+
Effect of class 1A drugs on ECG
Prolong AP duration —> prolonged QRS and QT intervals
Which of the class 1A drugs directly depresses the activities of the SA and AV nodes, possesses antimuscarinic activity and ganglion-blocking properties, and is used to tx sustained ventricular tachycardias, and may be used in arrhythmias associated with MI?
Procainamide
The active metabolite of procainamide has class ____ activity, _____ half life, and accumulates in ____ dysfunction. Measurements of both parent drug and metabolite are necessary in pharmacokinetic studies
3; longer; renal
Since procainamide has ganglion-blocking properties, it reduces peripheral vascular resistance and may cause _____
Hypotension
Adverse effects of Procainamide
Cardiac = QT prolongation, induction of torsade de pointes arrythmias and syncope, excess inhibition of conduction
Extracardiac = lupus erythematosus syndrome with arthritis, pleuritis, pulmonary dz, hepatitis, and fever; also nausea, diarrhea, agranulocytosis
Class 1A antiarrhythmic that is natural alkaloid from cinchona bark, used occasionally for restoring rhythm in atrial flutter/fibrillation in pts with otherwise normal hearts; may also be used for sustained ventricular arrhythmia
Quinidine
In clinical trials, pts on quinidine were 2x as likely to have normal sinus rhythm, but the risk of ____ was 2-3 fold
Death
Quinidine has _____ effects (may enhance AV conductance) and exhibits ______ activity (effect on PR interval is variable)
Antimuscarinic; beta-blocking
AEs of quinidine
Cardiac: QT prolongation, induction of torsade de pointes arrhythmia and syncope, excess slowing of conduction through heart
Extracardiac: GI (diarrhea, N/V), HA, dizziness, tinnitisu (cinchonism), thrombocytopenia, hepatitis, fever
Class 1A antiarrhythmic used for tx of recurrent ventricular arrhythmias and affords potent antimuscarinic effect on the heart
Disopyramide
AEs of disopyramide
Cardiac: QT prolongation, induction of torsade de pointes and syncope, negative inotropic effect — may precipitate heart failure, excessive depression of cardiac conduction
Extracardiac: atropine-like symptoms —urinary retention, dry mouth, blurry vision, constipation, exacerbation of glaucoma
MOA of class 1B antiarrhythmics
Block Na channels
State-dependent block — bind to inactivated sodium channels (preferentially bind to depolarized cells)
Class 1B drugs dissociate from Na channel with ____ kinetics
Fast — thus they have no effect on conduction in normal tissue
Effect of class 1B drugs on AP and ECG
May shorten AP
More specific action on Na channels —> do NOT block K+ channels, do not prolong AP or QT duration on ECG
MOA of lidocaine (class 1B antiarrhythmic)
Blocks inactivated Na channels (use-dependence) — selectively blocks conduction in depolarized tissue, making damaged tissue “electrically silent”
Rapid kinetics results in recovery from block between AP, with no effect on cardiac conductivity in normal tissue
Clinical use for lidocaine
Used in mono- and polymorphic ventricular tachycardias — very efficient in arrhythmias associated with AMI
Lidocaine has extensive ____ metabolism, and thus is only given ____
First-pass; IV