Pharmacology questions

[Manofstone]

Isoproterenol: Used for shock, bronchospasm during anesthesia, cardiac standstill and arrhythmias.

Contraindications and Precautions: Tachyarrhythmias, tachycardia, heart block, ventricular arrhythmias, angina pectoris.

Soooo...why would you use Isoproternenol if arrhythmias are a precaution for use?

Also, I'm not able to find Isoproterenol in my Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses. Is it normal to come across drugs that are not in the drug guide? (I did find the Uses and Contraindications in my Pharmacology book).

I'm a first semester nursing student, by the way. Thanks for any help! :)

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Isuprel...was an IV drug....much more common IV drip years ago that was given for bradycardia/heart block refractory to Atropine (this was before external pacemakers) and was titrated for heart rate.

This drug is a Beta-adrenergic agonist similar to Epinepherine and dopamine that it speed up the heart rate.

In some patients with an irritated myocardium in the setting of an Acute MI irritating the heart that is stressed can lead to other tachycardic arrythmias such as SVT, VTach and Vfib

Isoproterenol (Isuprel ®) -Â* Intravenous (IV) Dilution

I hope this helps

[Manofstone]

Thanks for the information. That is a big help.

[CCRNCMC11]

Isoproterenol is a Beta agonist so it does all of the opposite a beta blocker does (all of those -lol drugs I'm sure you've learned of). It's kind if an old drug but on occasion I've seen it used post open heart to raise cardiac output and heart rate although we use epi more. You'll see that a lot of antiarrhythmics can also cause arrhythmias, such as amiodarone causing torsades. Medicine at times seems contradictory but you get used to meds with experience!