Diltiazem (Cardizem)
ATI-format individual drug card with NCLEX-focused assessment, safety, teaching, and source attribution.
Diltiazem (Cardizem)
ATI class: Calcium channel blocker / Non-dihydropyridine
Action
- ATI/source-folder candidate for Diltiazem (Cardizem); verify mechanism against the source table before validation.
Therapeutic use
- Review under Hypertension / Anti-arrhythmics medication safety.
Nursing assessment
- Check apical pulse, blood pressure, ECG/rhythm, and symptoms before administration.
- Assess heart failure symptoms, edema, dizziness, and constipation.
- Review concurrent beta blocker, digoxin, or other rate-slowing therapy.
Administration
- Verify route against the order and source table.
Side effects
- Verify common side effects against the source table.
Adverse effects
- Bradycardia
- Hypotension
- AV block
- Worsening heart failure
- Peripheral edema
Interactions
- Beta blockers
- Digoxin
- Other antihypertensives
- Grapefruit products
- CYP3A4 inhibitors
Contraindications
- See source-specific contraindications and precautions before administration.
Precautions
- Severe hypotension, sick sinus syndrome or second/third degree AV block without pacing.
- Use caution with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and concurrent rate-slowing medications.
Client teaching
- Check pulse if instructed and report very slow pulse, fainting, or worsening shortness of breath.
- Avoid grapefruit if instructed.
- Do not crush extended-release forms unless product instructions allow.
Medication outcomes
- Therapeutic response with no priority adverse effects.
Antidote / rescue
- No specific antidote is seeded; hold/question unsafe doses and manage toxicity per provider, facility, or poison-control guidance.
NCLEX priority cues
- Bradycardia with hypotension or altered mental status is priority.
- Diltiazem plus beta blocker increases conduction-slowing risk.
- New heart failure symptoms need review before another dose.
Medication classes
Source attribution
Related study cards
Shows the medication class, ATI cues, source references, and connected study cards for this drug.
Relaxes vascular smooth muscle and, for selected agents, slows AV node conduction.
ATI medication nursing assessment concept.
ATI medication mechanism of action concept.
ATI medication adverse effect concept.
ATI medication client teaching concept.
ATI medication interaction concept.
ATI medication adverse effect concept.
ATI medication nclex priority cue concept.
ATI medication class concept.
ATI medication nursing assessment concept.
ATI medication client teaching concept.
ATI medication interaction concept.