Antiarrhythmic drugs
Antiarrhythmic drugs are used to treat arrhythmias, disturbancesof
the normal heart rhythm.Unfortunately, many antiarrhythmics are also capable of
worsen-ing or causing the very arrhythmias they’re supposed to treat. The
benefits need to be weighed carefully against the risks of antiar-rhythmic
therapy.
Antiarrhythmics are categorized into four classes:
·
I (which includes classes IA, IB, and IC)
·
II
·
III
·
IV.
Class I antiarrhythmics consist of sodium channel
blockers. This is the largest group of antiarrhythmics. Class I agents are
fre-quently subdivided into classes IA, IB, and IC. One drug, adeno-sine (an AV
nodal blocking agent used to treat paroxysmal supra-ventricular tachycardia), doesn’t
fall into any of these classes.
The mechanisms of action of antiarrhythmics vary
widely, and a few drugs exhibit properties common to more than one class.
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