Amiodarone

Question 1

When is amiodarone indicated?

X2 answers

Answer 1

Cardiac arrest

Shockable rhythm
(1st dose after 3rd shock)

Question 2

How much flush do we give after amiodarone ?

Answer 2

20 mls

Question 3

How much amiodarone do you give as your second dose?

Answer 3

150 mls

Question 4

Is amiodarone a class ? 1-5

I
II
III
IIII
IIIII

Answer 4

Anti-arrhythmic

Question 5

How many categories do all types of anti-arrhythmic drugs have ?

Answer 5

5

REMEMBER!!

Each category relates to a specific time of the cardiac action potential

Action potential: is change in voltage across a cell membrane. Beginning at the SA node (specialized nodal cells) which is capable for self-excitation (can independently produce spontaneous electrical impulses)

Question 6

Once the activation from the SA node begins the charge won’t stop
(think of it like water bring pores down a ramp it won’t stop even if there’s a little bend it’ll carrry on) so the charge won’t stop until it reaches the end of the conduction pathway (purkinje’s)

The time from the start to end is called the what ?

Answer 6

Effective refractory period

Question 7

When the activation of action potential relates to the hearts repolarisation and depolarisation. What ions are related to this there’s 3

Answer 7

Sodium
Potassium
Calcium

0: is the depolarisation of the QRS (Na+ enters cells) | 1,2/3 (Simon didn’tt explain)

Question 8

What did Vaughn William do?

Answer 8

Classify anti-arrhythmics (see photo)

Class 1: blocks sodium channels
Class 2: BB blocks beta Receptors ⬇️ HR
Class 3: effects phase 3 of action potential so it effects the “effective refractory period” (so imagine the action potential graph being LONGER) lowering HR!!

So patients in PEA cardiac arrest it will be slowing the HR even more into ASYSTOLE

Class 4: interferes w/ calcium channels effecting BP
Class 5: adenosine- used in narrow complex tachycardia which has a unknown understanding as how it works

Question 9

Why’s amiodarone not indicated in a cardiac arrest situation when the patients in a Non-shockable rhythm ?

Answer 9

It will effect the effective refractory period which is elongating the action potential to make it even longer which will then cause the patient to go into ASYSTOLE

Amiodarone effects the phase 3 effective refractory period stage which is increasing time between depolarisation and repolarisation