antiarrhythmic drugs are a class of medications that are administered for the treatment of
cardiac arrhythmias we created this video to cover the medical definition
and provide a brief overview of this topic so if you're ready let's get into it
when it comes to pharmacology and respiratory care most people only think about the medications
that are given to affect the lungs the heart and cardiovascular system is often overlooked
however it's important to remember that respiratory therapists are trained to provide
care for patients with conditions of both the heart and lungs that is because these two major
organs work together to pump oxygenated blood to all of the cells and tissues within the body
therefore if a disease is inhibiting the functionality of the heart it could
inadvertently affect the lungs as well all of that to emphasize the fact that cardiovascular drugs
are an important class of medication to learn and understand there are a few primary types however
for this video we're specifically focusing on antiarrhythmic agents as previously mentioned
antiarrhythmic agents are administered for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias
this is when there is a problem with the rate or rhythm of the patient's heartbeat
for example the patient's heart could be beating at a rate that is too fast or slow or it's
possible that their heart may be skipping beats as well some examples of the most common types
of anti-rhythmic agents include the following amiodarone procainamide foraponil and lidocaine
amiodarone is a drug that is often administered during acls for the treatment of life-threatening
heart rhythm disorders this includes ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation
procainamide is a similar drug that is indicated for the management and treatment of both
ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias this includes atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation it
is often administered in patients with wolf parkinson white syndrome as well
next up is verapamil which is a calcium channel blocker medication that is indicated for the
treatment of supraventricular tachycardia and is effective in controlling the ventricular rate
lidocaine is often known for being a local anesthetic
however it can also be administered intravenously for the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias
in such a case it can be given as an alternative to amiodarone for the management of ventricular
tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation lidocaine may also be used in patients with a myocardial
infarction or ischemia as well some other types of cardiovascular drugs to be familiar with
include inotropic agents vasodilators anti-anginal drugs and vasopressors
each of which are medications that we've discussed in other videos here on our channel
but again for this video we just wanted to provide you with a brief overview of this topic
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just a quick reminder we are not doctors this video is for
educational and informational purposes only and if you want to dive deeper and
learn more about this topic you can go to respiratorytherapyzone.com where we
have a ton of free study guides practice questions and other helpful resources
i'll drop links to everything you need right below this video down in the description thank you so
much for watching all the way to the end have a blessed day and as always real easy my friend
you