pharm Flashcards
Ipratropium (Atrovent) belongs to a class of drugs called short acting muscarinic antagonists. This drug class is notorious for having anticholinergic side effects, which exacerbate many known conditions. Anticholinergics have a wide array of side effects such as dry mouth, blurry vision, urinary hesitancy and constipation. In BPH, anticholinergics would worsen the symptoms of urinary hesitancy. In acute-angle closure glaucoma, anticholinergics can induce this condition to occur again and it is considered to be a medical emergency. In peptic ulcer disease, anticholinergics slow down the process of gastric emptying, therefore exacerbating any current ulcers. Anticholinergics are often used in cases of pancreatitis due to their ability to slow down the secretion of pancreatic enzymes as well as gastric acid.
