ED nurses need to know these 2 drug categories

The pharmacologic agents are divided into two categories: agents for arrhythmias, and agents to optimize cardiac output and blood pressure. They are as follows:

• Anti-arrhythmic agents: adenosine, amiodarone, atropine, beta blockers, bretylium, calcium channel blockers, disoyramide, dopaime, flecainide, ibutilide, isoproterenol, lidocaine, magnesium, procainamide, propafenone, and sotalol.

• Agents to optimize cardiac output and blood pressure: epinephrine, vasopressin, norepinephrine, dopamine, dobutamine, amrinone and milrinone, calcium, digitalis, nitroglycerin, sodium nitroprusside, sodium bicarb, and diuretics.