Anticholinergics
Medication class detail with safety cues and nursing action focus.
Anticholinergics
Examples: atropine, benztropine, oxybutynin, ipratropium
Mechanism
Blocks parasympathetic activity, so secretions dry up, heart rate can rise, and smooth muscle spasms decrease.
Used for
- Bradycardia
- Parkinson symptoms or EPS
- Overactive bladder
- Bronchodilation support
Side effects
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Urinary retention
- Constipation
- Tachycardia
- Confusion, especially in older adults
Nursing actions
- Assess urinary retention, bowel pattern, heart rate, and mental status.
- Teach safety with heat exposure because sweating can decrease.
- Use caution with glaucoma and BPH history.
Hold / question cues
- Narrow-angle glaucoma
- Urinary retention
- Severe tachycardia
- New confusion after dosing
Antidote / reversal
- physostigmine may be used for severe toxicity in selected settings
NCLEX pearl
- Dry and fast: cannot see, cannot pee, cannot spit, cannot poop.
Individual drug cards
Eye pain or halos after patch exposure can indicate angle-closure glaucoma.
Eye pain/halos after nebulizer exposure is a glaucoma cue.
Rescue inhaler comes before controller inhaler during acute symptoms.
Related study cards
Shows conditions, glossary terms, Drive entities, and source-linked cards connected to this medication class.
Eye pain/halos after nebulizer exposure is a glaucoma cue.
Eye pain or halos after patch exposure can indicate angle-closure glaucoma.
Rescue inhaler comes before controller inhaler during acute symptoms.
Shuffling gait, mask-like face, pill-rolling tremor.