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 MAIN MECHANISM OF ACTION (ALTHOUGH SEVERAL OF THE AGENTS RETAIN PROPERTIES FROM MULTIPLE CLASSES). THE VW CLASSIFICATION IS TRADITIONALLY BROKEN DOWN INTO FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES, WITH SOME REFERENCES ADDING A FIFTH. THIS ACTIVITY COVERS THE MAJOR CLASSES OF ANTIARRHYTHMIC MEDICATIONS, REVIEWS THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, ACTIVITY, ADVERSE EVENTS, AND SIGNIFICANT INTERACTIONS AS NEEDED BY THE INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTH TEAM IN MANAGING CONDITIONS FOR WHICH THESE AGENTS ARE INDICATED.