farmaka Flashcards
A patient is diagnosed with essential hypertension. He wants to know his treatment options. What medication(s) can you offer him?
Thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel blockers
In what circumstance is a β-blocker contraindicated in a heart failure patient?
In cardiogenic shock, and moreover, β-blockers must be used with caution in decompensated HF
A diabetic patient is also found to have essential hypertension. He takes a thiamine diuretic. Should you change him to another agent?
Yes, consider switching him to ACE inhibitors or ARBs, as a thiamine diuretic is protective against diabetic nephropathy
What are the treatment options for hypertension in diabetic patients?
ACE inhibitors/ARBs (both are protective against diabetic nephropathy), Ca2+ channel blockers, thiazide diuretics, β-blockers
A pregnant woman is found to have hypertension. What are the treatment options available for her hypertension?
Hydralazine, labetalol, methyldopa, nifedipine
You want to start a patient on a non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. What adverse effects is your patient at risk for?
AV block and hyperprolactinemia (specific side effect of verapamil)
A 65-year-old man is started on nifedipine for his hypertension. What is the mechanism of action?
Like other calcium channel blockers, it blocks the L-type calcium channel in cardiac and smooth muscle, which reduces muscle contractility
A patient is started on antihypertensives. He soon returns with swollen ankles and flushing. What class of medication was he prescribed?
Calcium channel blockers, as peripheral edema is a possible side effect
What are the clinical indications for the use of non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers?
Hypertension, angina, atrial fibrillation/flutter
A patient suffers head trauma and develops a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Why is it beneficial to give this patient a calcium channel blocker?
The calcium channel blocker nimodipine can help prevent cerebral vasospasms
Which calcium channel blocker is used for hypertensive urgency or emergency?
Clevidipine
Rank the relative activity of the following calcium channel blockers on vascular smooth muscle: verapamil, nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem
Verapamil (verapamil = ventricle), diltiazem, amlodipine = nifedipine
A patient suddenly enters atrial fibrillation. Their HR is 150, RR 14, and BP 80/60. Why are you cautious about starting a diltiazem drip?
While Ca2+ channel blockers slow AV node conduction, they also reduce both cardiac output and blood pressure
Which calcium channel blockers are most selective for vascular smooth muscle? Which one agent is most cardioselective?
Nifedipine or amlodipine (dihydropyridines); verapamil
What are the clinical indications for the use of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, other than nimodipine and clevidipine?
Hypertension, angina (including Prinzmetal angina), Raynaud phenomenon
You want to start a patient on a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. What adverse effects is your patient at risk for?
Cardiac depression, peripheral edema, flushing, dizziness, constipation, gingival hyperplasia
Which does hydralazine reduce: afterload or preload? Which vessels does it dilate more: veins or arterioles?
Afterload; arterioles
Hydralazine causes smooth muscle relaxation by increasing concentrations of which substance in endothelial cells?
cGMP
A man has side effects from hydralazine. What autoimmune complication might this mimic? Is he likely to have fluid retention or excretion?
Systemic lupus erythematosus; fluid retention
A 68-year-old man with chronic hypertension recently had a cardiac stent placement. Why is hydralazine contraindicated in this patient?
Hydralazine is contraindicated in angina and coronary artery disease, because it causes a drop in BP that induces compensatory tachycardia
A 40-year-old woman with chronic hypertension has a positive pregnancy test. What is the first-line hypertensive therapy for her?
Hydralazine, which is safe to use during pregnancy
How can the reflex tachycardia that is associated with hydralazine be prevented?
By administering hydralazine with a β-blocker
What are the clinical indications for hydralazine?
Severe hypertension (particularly acute), heart failure (administer with organic nitrate)
Name some medications that can be used to treat a hypertensive emergency.
Nitroprusside, nicardipine, clevidipine, fenoldopam, labetalol
Nitroprusside is a ____ (short/long)-acting drug that increases which substance via direct release of nitric oxide?
Short; cGMp
Fenoldopam is an agonist of which receptor? What is its mechanism of action?
Dopamine D1 (relaxes renal vasculature, which can ↓ BP and ↑ natriuresis; also induces coronary, peripheral, and splanchnic vasodilation)
A man has a hypertensive emergency. You give a short-acting drug that raises cGMP levels via NO. Why do you monitor oxygenation closely?
Patients should be monitored closely after nitroprusside is given, as it can cause cyanide toxicity (deprives cells of ability to use O2)
A 55-year-old man develops severe chest pain after walking up a hill. He puts a pill under his tongue that stops the pain. How does it work?
Nitrates release nitric oxide in smooth muscle (↑cGMP/smooth muscle relaxation), causing vasodilation (veins &62;> arteries) and ↓preload
What are the three main indications for the use of nitrates (nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate, isosorbide mononitrate)?
Angina, pulmonary edema, and acute coronary syndrome
Name four adverse effects of nitrates.
Reflex tachycardia, hypotension, flushing, and headache
A 35-year-old man gets a headache every Monday and jokes that he is “allergic’ to his job at an explosives factory. What may be the cause?
His “Monday disease” is from industrial exposure to nitroglycerin; causes tachycardia, dizziness, headache on re-exposure to nitroglycerin
A man on nitroglycerin presents with hypotension. Home medications are held. A day later, he is tachycardic yet normotensive. What happened?
He is having reflex tachycardia from stopping nitroglycerin (treat with a β-blocker)
What is the mechanism by which pharmacologic treatments can reduce angina?
Reduce myocardial oxygen consumption by decreasing one or more of end-diastolic volume, BP, HR, contractility
Among the calcium channel blockers, which acts similarly to a β-blocker?
Verapamil
What are the effects of β-blockers, nitrates, and both together on end-diastolic volume?
β-blockers either have no effect or decrease EDV, nitrates decrease EDV, a combination of both either has no effect or decreases EDV
What are the effects of nitrates, β-blockers, and both together on blood pressure?
β-blockers, nitrates, and a combination of both all decrease blood pressure
What are the effects of nitrates, β-blockers, and both together on contractility?
Nitrates have no effect, β-blockers decrease contractility, and a combination of both has little or no effect
What are the effects of nitrates, β-blockers, and both together on heart rate?
Nitrates increase HR (reflex response), β-blockers decrease heart rate, and a combination of both has no effect or decreases heart rate
What are the effects of nitrates, β-blockers, and both together on ejection time?
Nitrates decrease ejection time; β-blockers increase ejection time, and a combination of both has little or no effect on ejection time
What are the effects of nitrates, β-blockers, and both together on myocardial oxygen consumption?
Both β-blockers & nitrates decrease myocardial O2 consumption, & a combination of both decreases myocardial O2 consumption drastically
Your patient with angina needs a β-blocker. You offer pindolol and acebutolol, but your attending scoffs at this proposal. Why?
Pindolol and acebutolol, both partial β-agonists, can increase myocardial oxygen consumption and are poor choices for patients with angina
A 35-year-old man has a low-density lipoprotein of 200 mg/dL. Which drug class would have the most powerful LDL-lowering effect?
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) have the strongest reducing effect of all of the lipid-lowering drugs
A patient cannot take statins due to side effects. What other drugs can lower his low-density lipoprotein levels?
Niacin (vitamin B3), bile acid resins, ezetimibe, fibrates (although all reduce LDL less effectively than do statins)