Calcium channel blockers

Medication class detail with safety cues and nursing action focus.

Back to meds
Cardiacneeds review

Calcium channel blockers

Examples: diltiazem, verapamil, amlodipine, nicardipine

Mechanism

Relaxes vascular smooth muscle and, for selected agents, slows AV node conduction.

Used for

  • Hypertension
  • Angina
  • SVT or atrial fibrillation rate control

Side effects

  • Hypotension
  • Bradycardia with diltiazem/verapamil
  • Peripheral edema
  • Constipation

Nursing actions

  • Monitor blood pressure, heart rate, and ECG rhythm when used for rate control.
  • Teach slow position changes and report edema.
  • Avoid grapefruit if instructed for selected agents.

Hold / question cues

  • Bradycardia
  • Second or third degree heart block without pacing
  • Symptomatic hypotension

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

  • Diltiazem and verapamil slow the doorway through the AV node.

Individual drug cards

Nifedipine (Procardia)

Hypotension after nifedipine is priority.

Calcium channel blockerDihydropyridine
Amlodipine (Norvasc)

Syncope or severe hypotension after dosing is priority.

Calcium channel blockerDihydropyridine
Diltiazem (Cardizem)

Bradycardia with hypotension or altered mental status is priority.

Calcium channel blockerNon-dihydropyridine

Related study cards

Shows conditions, glossary terms, Drive entities, and source-linked cards connected to this medication class.

6 study links
Drugmedication class
Amlodipine (Norvasc)

Syncope or severe hypotension after dosing is priority.

Drugmedication class
Diltiazem (Cardizem)

Bradycardia with hypotension or altered mental status is priority.

Drugmedication class
Nifedipine (Procardia)

Hypotension after nifedipine is priority.

Conditionmedication safety
Atrial fibrillation

Irregularly irregular rhythm.

Conditionmedication safety
Atrial flutter

Sawtooth flutter waves.

Conditionmedication safety
Hypertension

Often silent.