Goodluck

Overview of Common Drugs Used in Treatment of Cardiovascular and Neurological Disorders

• Theophylline, a methylated xanthine, is used to relax bronchial smooth muscle for bronchodilation in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease and neonatal apnea.
• Digoxin, a cardiac glycoside from foxglove plant, inhibits membrane NA-K-ATPase pump to improve myocardial contraction and is used for CHF and atrial fibrillation/flutter.
• Disopyramide, used for ventricular arrhythmias, has anticholinergic effects causing dryness of mouth, nose, throat, eyes, urinary retention, blurred vision, and mental depression.
• Lidocaine, an anti-arrhythmic and local anesthetic, treats ventricular arrhythmias after AMI and is metabolized to Monoethlyglycinexylidide (MEGX), which should be considered in TDM.
• Quinidine, derived from CINCHONA bark, is used for supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, but can cause CINCHONISM syndrome due to its cardiac depressant properties.
• Procainamide, converted to N-acetylprocainamide (NAPA) in the liver, is potent in controlling supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias.
• Amiodarone treats life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias unresponsive to less toxic agents.
• Aminoglycosides interfere with bacterial protein synthesis and are commonly administered via IV or IM route, but can cause ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity.
• Vancomycin inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis and can cause "red man syndrome" (erythemic flushing of extremities).
• Phenytoin, an anticonvulsant, is used to control seizure disorders and to treat "status epilepticus".
• Diazepam, a benzodiazepine tranquilizer, is used as a sedative, antianxiety agent, muscle relaxant, and immediate "rapid" control of seizures in emergency situations.
• Phenobarbital and primidone, barbiturates, are frequently used to treat different types of seizures by decreasing the threshold of nerve cell stimulation in the motor cortex.
• Carbamazepine is effective in controlling grand mal and psychomotor seizures and in relieving pain with trigeminal neuralgia, but can cause chronic adverse effects such as rash, hepatic failure, and leukopenia.