Antiarrhythmics
Medication class detail with safety cues and nursing action focus.
Cardiacneeds review
Antiarrhythmics
Examples: amiodarone, adenosine, lidocaine
Mechanism
Changes cardiac electrical conduction to terminate or prevent unsafe rhythms.
Used for
- SVT
- Ventricular dysrhythmias
- Atrial fibrillation rhythm support
Side effects
- Bradycardia
- Hypotension
- QT prolongation
- Pulmonary and thyroid toxicity with amiodarone
Nursing actions
- Use continuous ECG monitoring when indicated.
- Assess pulse, blood pressure, and signs of poor perfusion.
- For adenosine, prepare for brief asystole sensation and flush rapidly per protocol.
Hold / question cues
- Unstable client without emergency protocol
- Severe bradycardia
- Marked QT prolongation
Antidote / reversal
- No routine class-specific antidote or reversal agent is seeded for this class; hold/question unsafe doses, support ABCs, notify the provider, and use facility or poison-control guidance for toxicity.
NCLEX pearl
- Treat the patient, then the rhythm strip.