ANTIARRHYTHMIC MEDICATIONS

Course overview

THE ANTIARRHYTHMIC MEDICATIONS HAVE TYPICALLY BEEN CATEGORIZED ACCORDING TO THE VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS (VW) CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM CLASSIFIES THE MEDICATIONS ACCORDING TO THE PRIMARY MECHANISM OF ACTION (ALTHOUGH SEVERAL AGENTS RETAIN PROPERTIES FROM MULTIPLE CLASSES). THE VW CLASSIFICATION IS TRADITIONALLY BROKEN DOWN INTO FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES, WITH SOME REFERENCES ADDING A FIFTH. REVISED VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS (VW) CLASSIFICATION PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE NEWLY DEVELOPED ANTIARRHYTHMIC DRUGS. THIS ACTIVITY COVERS THE ANTIARRHYTHMIC MEDICATIONS AND REVIEWS THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, ACTIVITY, ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS, TOXICITY, MANAGEMENT, MONITORING PARAMETERS, AND SIGNIFICANT INTERACTIONS AS NEEDED BY THE INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTH TEAM TO MANAGE CONDITIONS FOR WHICH THESE AGENTS ARE INDICATED.