Cardiac Glycosides, Antianginals, Antidysrhythmics, Antihyperlipidemics, and Emergency Drugs

Vocabulary flashcards covering heart failure, cardiac glycosides, antianginals, antidysrhythmics, antihyperlipidemics, and adult/pediatric emergency drugs.

Right-sided Heart Failure

A condition where heart failure causes blood to back up in the periphery.

Left-sided Heart Failure

A condition where heart failure causes blood to back up in the lungs.

Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP)

A laboratory test for heart failure where the desired value is less than $100\,\text{pg/mL}$ and a positive value is greater than $100\,\text{pg/mL}$.

Digoxin

A cardiac glycoside that increases myocardial contraction, cardiac output, and perfusion while decreasing heart rate and conduction, with a therapeutic range of $0.8\text{--}2.0$.

Digitalis Toxicity

Toxicity presenting with anorexia, diarrhea, N/V, bradycardia, PVCs, cardiac dysrhythmias, headaches, malaise, blurred vision, visual halos, confusion, and delirium.

Digoxin Immune Fab

Antidote for digitalis toxicity that binds with digoxin to allow excretion in the urine.

Vasodilators

Agents that decrease venous blood return to the heart, reducing cardiac filling, ventricular stretching, and oxygen demand on the heart.

ACE Inhibitors

Medications that improve renal blood flow and decrease blood fluid volume by decreasing aldosterone release; common side effects include cough, hyperkalemia, angioedema, dizziness, and hypotension.

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)

Medications (e.g., Valsartan, Candesartan) that cause vasodilation and decrease peripheral resistance, typically used when a patient cannot tolerate an ACE inhibitor.

Spironolactone (Aldactone)

A potassium-sparing diuretic that blocks the production of aldosterone.

Furosemide (Lasix)

A potassium-wasting diuretic that requires monitoring of kidneys and electrolytes.

Classic (Stable) Angina

Angina that occurs with predictable stress or exertion.

Unstable (Preinfarction) Angina

Angina that occurs frequently with progressive severity unrelated to activity and is unpredictable regarding stress, exertion, and intensity.

Variant (Prinzmetal, Vasospastic) Angina

Angina that occurs during rest.

Nitrates

First agents used to relieve angina that cause generalized vascular and coronary vasodilation; common side effects include headache, hypotension, dizziness, weakness, and faintness.

Non-selective Beta Blockers

Beta blockers (e.g., propranolol, nadolol, pindolol) that cause bronchoconstriction and should not be used in patients with respiratory issues.

Calcium Channel Blockers

Antianginal drugs that relax coronary and peripheral arteries, decrease cardiac oxygen demand, contractility, afterload, and peripheral resistance; used for variant or stable angina.

Class I Antidysrhythmics

Sodium channel blockers (e.g., Flecainide, Lidocaine, Quinidine) that decrease sodium influx into cardiac cells to treat atrial and ventricular dysrhythmias.

Class II Antidysrhythmics

Beta blockers (e.g., Propranolol, Esmolol, Sotalol) that reduce calcium entry, decrease contraction, conduction velocity, automaticity, and recovery time.

Class III Antidysrhythmics

Drugs (e.g., Amiodarone) that prolong repolarization and are used for emergency treatment of ventricular dysrhythmias.

Class IV Antidysrhythmics

Calcium channel blockers (e.g., Verapamil, Diltiazem) that decrease the excitability and contractility of the myocardium.

High-density Lipoprotein (HDL)

'Good' lipoprotein that removes cholesterol from the blood and transports it to the liver for elimination.

Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL)

'Bad' lipoprotein that contains a higher percentage of cholesterol.

Bile-acid Sequestrants

Antihyperlipidemic agents (e.g., Cholestryamine, Colestipol, Colesevelam HCl) that reduce LDL levels by binding with bile acids in the intestine.

Fibrates

Antilipidemics (e.g., Gemfibrozil, Fenofibrate) that reduce triglyceride and VLDL levels; not recommended for use with anticoagulants.

Niacin (Vitamin B3)

Nicotinic acid that is very effective in lowering LDL and VLDL, but has numerous side effects including GI issues and elevated glucose in diabetics.

Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitor

An agent (e.g., Ezetimibe) that acts on small intestine cells to inhibit cholesterol absorption from diet; must be combined with a statin for optimum effect.

Statins (HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors)

Drugs that inhibit cholesterol synthesis in the liver; adverse effects include liver impairment, rhabdomyolysis, and cataracts.

Adenosine

First-line emergency drug of choice to treat paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT).

Magnesium Sulfate

Emergency drug used for refractory ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, cardiac arrest with hypomagnesemia, digitalis toxicity dysrhythmias, and torsades de pointes.

Naloxone

Emergency drug that reverses the effects of opiate drugs by competitively binding to opiate receptor sites.

Flumazenil

Reversal agent for the respiratory depressant and sedative effects of benzodiazepine medications.

Activated Charcoal

Emergency agent that prevents toxin absorption into the body if the ingested substance is known to be affected by charcoal in the GI tract.

Dopamine

Emergency drug used to treat hypotension in shock states and increase heart rate in bradycardic rhythms.

Hypertensive Crisis

A severe clinical state characterized by a systolic BP exceeding $180\text{--}200\,\text{mmHg}$ or a diastolic BP exceeding $120\,\text{mmHg}$.