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Discussion

Test tomorrow, need help with digoxin :(

In a normal, healthy person, what effect would digoxin use have on blood pressure?

My guess is that it would generally raise BP, since it has a negative effect on heart rate and increases cardiac contractility. What do you think? (Can't seem to find any info on this, even in drug book..)

Thanks!

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Digoxin: Antidysrhythmic drug

AE: CNS effects, including one or more of the following: (specific AE may vary with drug): tinnitus, hearing loss, visual disturbances, confusion, delirium, psychosis, giddiness, hallucinations, depression, dizziness, paresthesias, stupor, coma, seizures, fatigue, headache, tremor, anxiety, gait disturbance, somnolence (sleepiness), insomnia.

In addition to interacting with other drugs and with laboratory tests, digoxin can interact with certain foods. The consumption of excessive amounts of potassium rich foods can decrease its therapeutic effect whereas, the consumption of excessive amounts of licorice can increase digoxin toxicity as the result of the hypokalemia produced.

the antidote for severe digoxin overdose is: digoxin immune Fab (Digibind, DigiFab)

(Resourse: Mosby, Pharmacology and the Nursing Process, 5th Ed., Lilley, Harrington, Snyder, 2007. page 341. Table 22-6; Common Adverse Effects of Various Antidysrhytmic Drugs)

Hope this helps.

thepenartist :typing

My thoughts are for increasing the HR.

Basically, digoxin increases the contractility of the heart, making it more efficient. So if you make the blood coming out of the heart come out faster and stronger its going to raise their BP.

  • Author
My thoughts are for increasing the HR.

Basically, digoxin increases the contractility of the heart, making it more efficient. So if you make the blood coming out of the heart come out faster and stronger its going to raise their BP.

As far as rate, my understanding is that Digoxin lowers it due to the negative chronotropic effect. I'm assuming that, in turn, BP is raised due to the positive inotropic effect.

And again, I'm just thinking about the effect in a healthy person. I'm assuming that in a pt with, say, CHF, Digoxin use/therapy would merely stabilize the BP (hopefully), which may in fact involve a gradual decrease in BP, depending on that pt's initial symptoms/history/etc.

I'm just wondering if I'm right on this, or not.

Digoxin: Antidysrhythmic drug

AE: CNS effects, including one or more of the following: (specific AE may vary with drug): tinnitus, hearing loss, visual disturbances, confusion, delirium, psychosis, giddiness, hallucinations, depression, dizziness, paresthesias, stupor, coma, seizures, fatigue, headache, tremor, anxiety, gait disturbance, somnolence (sleepiness), insomnia.

In addition to interacting with other drugs and with laboratory tests, digoxin can interact with certain foods. The consumption of excessive amounts of potassium rich foods can decrease its therapeutic effect whereas, the consumption of excessive amounts of licorice can increase digoxin toxicity as the result of the hypokalemia produced.

the antidote for severe digoxin overdose is: digoxin immune Fab (Digibind, DigiFab)

(Resourse: Mosby, Pharmacology and the Nursing Process, 5th Ed., Lilley, Harrington, Snyder, 2007. page 341. Table 22-6; Common Adverse Effects of Various Antidysrhytmic Drugs)

Hope this helps.

thepenartist :typing

thepenartist: What do you, personally, think?

  • Expert

in a normal, healthy person, what effect would digoxin use have on blood pressure?

why would anyone give this drug to a
normal, healthy person
? anyway, a drug isn't going to make a judgment between a normal, healthy person and someone who is in congestive heart failure. it's going to do what it does.

my guess is that it would generally raise bp, since it has a negative effect on heart rate and increases cardiac contractility. what do you think?

digoxin may cause hypotension. this would be a side effect as the main effect of digoxin is to increase the muscular force of the heart's contractions and alter the electrical conduction pathway. that results in increased cardiac output. the increase in cardiac output has these direct effects:

  • a fall in venous pressure (blood pressure goes down)

  • improved coronary circulation

  • the heart may return to normal size if it is enlarged

this information is from page 418 of
2007 intravenous medications
, 23rd edition, by betty l. gahart and adrienne r. nazareno.

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