Tag: Bradycardia

As core body temperature drops, heart rate decreases proportionally, with some studies in therapeutic hypothermia showing a reduction of around 10 beats per minute for every degree Celsius lost. This slowing, known as hypothermic bradycardia, is a direct and predictable physiological response to cold exposure, explaining why hypothermia leads to bradycardia.

In emergency medicine, specific guidelines dictate that atropine should not be used to treat bradycardia in suspected hypothermia. This is a crucial rule for healthcare providers, and understanding **why is atropine contraindicated in hypothermia** is key to safe patient care, as it is both ineffective and potentially harmful.

While atropine is a common first-line treatment for certain types of bradycardia, studies show its overall response rate in patients with bradyarrhythmias can be low, around 28%. This raises a critical question in cardiac pharmacology: **Will atropine work on a junctional rhythm?** The answer is not straightforward and depends heavily on the underlying cause of the rhythm disturbance.

While atropine is a standard treatment for certain types of symptomatic bradycardia, its use in a patient experiencing a myocardial infarction (MI) is approached with extreme caution, largely because of its potential to worsen myocardial ischemia. A significant percentage of MI patients experience bradycardia, but the underlying cause dictates the appropriate, and often atropine-free, treatment.

Intraoperative bradycardia is a common occurrence, with some reports citing an incidence of sinus bradycardia as high as 11% during general anesthesia. An anesthesiologist must know how to treat bradycardia during surgery, utilizing a structured approach to ensure patient safety and hemodynamic stability.

Paradoxically, while known as a treatment for a slow heart rate, administration of atropine can cause a further decrease in heart rate under certain conditions, a phenomenon that has been documented in multiple clinical settings. This effect is transient but carries important clinical implications, necessitating an understanding of atropine's complex pharmacological mechanisms.

Atropine is a powerful anticholinergic medication that can cause a range of side effects, including dry mouth, blurred vision, and an increased heart rate. Understanding what are the disadvantages of atropine is vital for patients and healthcare providers to manage risks effectively.

Derived from plants like the deadly nightshade (*Atropa belladonna*), atropine is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines [1.3.3]. Before use, it's crucial to understand questions like, **what are two contraindications of atropine?**, to ensure patient safety.

Derived from the deadly nightshade plant (Atropa belladonna), atropine is a medication on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. So, how does atropine make you feel when administered for medical reasons? Its effects can range from a dry mouth and faster heart rate to more significant central nervous system changes.

The plasma half-life of atropine after parenteral (injection) administration is typically 2 to 4 hours [1.4.1]. This article explores the details of how long does it take for atropine to wear off depending on its use and individual factors.