- Calcium Channel Blockers:
- Calcium channel blockers are like Valium (sedative) for your heart.
- Valium calms you down, which means calcium channel blockers calm
the heart down
- Example: if at patients heart is tachycardic a calcium channel blocker
will calm the heart and reduce the heart rate.
- Calcium channel blockers should only be used if the heart needs to rest. If
it does not need a rest, do not give calcium channel blockers.
- Calcium channel blockers classification:
- Negative Inotropic: weaken force of muscular contractions.
- Negative Chronotropic: decrease heart rate through electrical conduction.
- Negative Dromotropic: slows the electrical conduction through the heart.
- Together these effects calm the heart down.
- When would a Calcium channel blocker be used?
- A: Anti Hypertensive: relax heart and blood vessels.
- AA: Anti Angina drugs: relax the heart, which decreases oxygen demand.
- AAA: Anti Atrial Arrhythmia: treats atrial arrhythmias.
- Side effects:
- H and H: Headache and Hypotension
- Names of Calcium channel blockers:
- Calcium channel blockers are any medication ending in “dipine”
- Examples - Amlodipine
- Felodipine Has to have the “di” before “pine”
, - Nifedipine
- There are two Calcium channel blockers that do not end in “dipine”.
- Verapamil
- Diltiazem (Cardizem): only one that can be on continuous drip.
- When on a calcium channel blocker you must monitor blood pressure.
- Do not give a Calcium channel blocker if systolic is below 100.
Cardiac rhythms
- Must know these 4 cardiac rhythms by sight.
1. Normal sinus rhythm.
- There is a P wave before each QRS complex followed by a T wave
- Each P wave is equal in size and length and the QRS follows an equal rhythm
2. Ventricular Fibrillation (v-fib)
- Chaotic squiggly line (no pattern)
3. Ventricular Tachycardia (v-tach)
- Sharp, jagged lines that follows a
pattern.
4. Asystole
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