POTASIUM CHANNEL BLOCKER UNIT 6 CHPT 40

Question 1

Which of the following drugs is Potassium Channel Blocker?

A. Tylenol
B. Aspirin
C. Morphine
D. Amiodarone

Answer 1

D. Amiodarone

Mechanism of drug action
* **K channel blockers - amiodarone
* Prolong repolarization
* Prolong action potential duration
STOPS THE HEART FROM CONTRACTING

What is Potassium’s mechanism in the heart: contracts the heart

Potassium plays a role in every heartbeat. A hundred thousand times a day, it helps trigger your heart to squeeze blood through your body. It also helps your muscles to move, your nerves to work, and your kidneys to filter blood.

antidysrhythmic,

Question 2

Side effects and Adverse effects of Amiodarone

Answer 2

Side effects/Adverse reactions
* Dizzy, headache, flushing, edema, orthostatic hypotension

• Tell patients to report side effects and adverse reactions to a health care provider, including dizziness, faintness, nausea, and vomiting.
• Advise patients to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco. Alcohol can intensify a hypotensive reaction, caffeine increases catecholamine levels, and tobacco promotes vasoconstriction.

Adverse Effect
* Bradycardia, hypotension, dyspnea

Question 3

Nursing interventions for amiodarone

Answer 3

Nursing Interventions

• Monitor vital signs because hypotension can occur.
• Administer drug by IV push or bolus over a period of 2 to 3 minutes or as prescribed.
• Monitor ECG for abnormal pa erns, and report findings such as premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), increased PR and QT intervals, and/or widening of the QRS complex. Increased QT interval is a risk factor for torsades de pointes.

Question 4

Health Assessment for Potassium Channel blockers

Answer 4

• Obtain health and drug histories. The history may include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, coughing, chest pain (type, duration, and severity), previous angina or cardiac dysrhythmias, and drugs the patient currently takes.
• Obtain baseline vital signs and electrocardiogram (ECG) for future comparisons.
• Monitor early cardiac enzyme results (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], creatine phosphokinase) and cardiac-specific troponins for future comparisons.

Question 5

When should you use Amiodarone in a patient?

Answer 5

During life threatening ventricular arrhythmias unresponsive to other drugs which is

V TACH OR V FIB

Question 6

Teaching Potassium Channel Blockers

Answer 6

Teaching
* Monitor their blood pressure and pulse, ECG (if available on
wearable electronic device)
* Take drug as ordered – do not stop any cardiac drug abruptly
* Beta blockers can take 1-3 months for full effect
* Tell patient to report side effects and adverse reactions to a
health care provider, for example palpitations, slow heart rate
* Teach to get up slowly
* Advise patient to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.
* Evaluation – how do we know it worked?