pharm drug classes

Antiarrhythmics

medications designed to prevent, suppress, or treat abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) by resetting the heart's electrical system.

work by primarily by altering specific ion channels—such as sodium, potassium, and calcium—or by blocking receptors that dictate the heart's rate and rhythm

4 classes

1. Class I (Sodium Channel Blockers)

2. Class II (Beta-Blockers)

3. Class III (Potassium Channel Blockers)

4. Class IV (Calcium Channel Blockers)

Class I Sodium Channel Blockers (Antiarrhythmics)

Slows the conduction of electrical impulses in the heart.

• Examples: Flecainide, Propafenone, Lidocaine.

Class II Beta-Blockers (Antiarrhythmics)

Slows the heart rate and reduces the force of contractions by blocking the effects of adrenaline.

• Examples: Metoprolol, Propranolol, Atenolol.

BETA END IN LOL

Class III Potassium Channel Blockers (Antiarrhythmics)

Prolongs the electrical phase that allows the heart muscle to recover, preventing rapid or erratic rhythms.

• Examples: Amiodarone, Sotalol, Dofetilide.

Class IV Calcium Channel Blockers (Antiarrhythmics)

Slows conduction through the heart's electrical pathways, particularly the AV node.

• Examples: Diltiazem, Verapamil.