Tag: Antiarrhythmic

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) affects up to 30% of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), making it the most common complication. In response, amiodarone is routinely administered to mitigate this risk by stabilizing the heart's rhythm.

According to StatPearls, amiodarone is FDA-approved for the treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. So, why do you administer amiodarone? It is a potent antiarrhythmic drug, but its significant side effect profile means its use is reserved for serious heart rhythm disturbances that have not responded to other treatments.

According to the FDA, certain antiarrhythmic drugs like mexiletine can carry a boxed warning due to an increased risk of death, especially in patients who have had a recent heart attack. It is critical for patients to understand who should not take mexiletine and the serious health conditions that serve as absolute contraindications.

In therapeutic concentrations, lidocaine has been shown to cause only minimal changes in heart rate, but at high or toxic levels, it can cause severe cardiovascular depression, leading to bradycardia or even cardiac arrest. This multifaceted drug, used as both a local anesthetic and an antiarrhythmic, has a dose-dependent impact on cardiac function, making it crucial to understand how **can lidocaine affect your heart rate**.

According to extensive clinical research, lidocaine is generally well tolerated hemodynamically at therapeutic doses, but high, toxic concentrations can significantly depress cardiac output. Understanding the delicate balance between therapeutic efficacy and potential harm is crucial for clinicians prescribing this medication, as the answer to the question, "Does lidocaine affect cardiac output?" hinges entirely on dosage and patient health status.

According to numerous pharmacological studies, amiodarone possesses a negative dromotropic effect, meaning it slows the conduction velocity of electrical impulses through the heart. This critical property, combined with its other multi-channel blocking actions, underpins its effectiveness as a broad-spectrum antiarrhythmic medication.

Recent 2024 estimates suggest that atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition flecainide often treats, affects over 10.5 million adults in the U.S., three times more than previously thought. A key concern for patients is, **does flecainide affect blood pressure** as part of its function?

Flecainide toxicity, though rare, has a reported mortality rate of up to 22.5% [1.2.2]. Knowing how to reverse flecainide toxicity is critical for emergency practitioners, as overdose can lead to life-threatening cardiac events and complete cardiovascular collapse [1.3.1, 1.2.6].

Lidocaine is a Class Ib antiarrhythmic agent that has been used for decades to treat certain cardiac conditions, particularly ventricular arrhythmias. When administered intravenously, **what does lidocaine IV do to the heart** is block sodium channels, stabilizing heart muscle and suppressing abnormal electrical activity. This action is especially effective in treating life-threatening rhythms that occur in ischemic or injured heart tissue.

According to the CDC, atrial fibrillation affects millions of Americans and is a major cause of stroke. As a key component of treatment, the medication **diltiazem is used for AFib** to effectively control a rapid ventricular heart rate, which can alleviate symptoms and prevent complications.