Drug Information (Cardiology)

by Dr. Michael Wan 

Last update: 2nd Jan., 2008.

* See Disclaimer *

All drug names are indexed according to their generic names in alphabetical order!

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Adenosine (ATP)

Antiarrhythmic, first line drug used for termination of Supraventricular Tachycardias (SVT) involving the AV node or the accessory pathways (WPW).It can also block the AV node transiently to facilitate the interpretation of the surface ECG.

Dose: 10mg-20mg iv push

Side effects: flushing, chest discomfort, asthmatic attack

Contra: asthma, COAD/COPD, heart blocks

Aldactone

A diuretic to treat heart failure, fluid retention due to cirrhosis of liver. Recent stuyd (RALES) showed that it is useful for heart failure patients and increase their chance of survival.

Dose: 25mg om - 50mg tds

Side effect: hyper K
 

Alteplace tPA (t-PA)

Thrombolytics, used to lyse the clot inside the coronary vessels in acute myocardial infarction, can also be used for pulmonary embolism

Dose: 10mg bolus then 50,20,20mg q1h. Accerelated: 5mg bolus then 50mg over 30 minutes, 35mg over 1 hour

Side effects: bleeding

Contra: recent surgical operation, recent GI bleeding, cerebral haemorrhage, pregnancy, bleeding tendency, severe hypertension

Amlodipine

Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB), 2nd generation. Use for hypertension, ischemic heart disease and angina.

Dose: 5-10mg per day

Side effect: dizziness, headache, peripheral edema, congestive heart failure

Amiodarone

Class III anti-arrhythmic. Used for terminating and preventing supraventricular arrhythmias (SVT) including atrail fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias (VT)

Dose: loading 5mg/kg then 15mg/kg/day, tail off

Sie effect: pulmonary fibrosis, visual disturbance, thyroid dysfunction, heart failure, rash, GI upset, amny drug interactions (digoxin, anti-arrhythmics, warfarin)

Anistreplase (APSAC)

Thrombolytic for lysis of clot in the coronary vessels in acute myocardial infarction.

Dose: 30U over 2-5 mins iv

Side effects: bleeding

Contra: see tPA

Aspirin

Analgesic, used also for reducing risk of myocardial infarction and risk of death after infarction or angina. Also used for reducing risk of thromboembolism in high risk patients

Dose: 80-325mg P.O.

Side effect: GI upset, bleeding, ulcer

Contra: bleeding tendency

Atenolol

Beta blocker. Used for treatment of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, angina, post myocardial infarction, heart failure

Dose: 50-200mg/day

Side effect: heart failure, heart block, bradycardia, reduce exercise tolerence, prolong QT

Contra: asthma, COAD/COPD, heart block, severe heart failure, peripheral vascular disease

Atropine

Anticholinergic. Treatment of bradycardia nad heart blocks

Dose: 0.6-2.0mg (max) iv

Side effect: dry mouth, urinary retention, confusion

Contra: myocardial ischemia, asthma, ileus, glucoma,

Abciximab (Reopro)

A new Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist. Use for complicated PTCA/PTCS procedures, also studied for use in unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction.

Dose: bolus + infusion

Side effects: allergic reactions, bleeding tendency

Captopril

Angiotensin Coverting Enzyme Inhibitor (ACEI). Used for treatment of hypertenison, heart failure and post myocardial infarction remodelling

Dose: 25-150mg tds PO

Side effect: impair renal function, cough, headache, anaemia

Contra: hyperkaelemia, renal artery stenosis, pregnancy, outflow obstruction

Carvedilol

Alpha & Beta-blocker with vasodilor activity. Used for treatment of congestive heart failure. Start at low dose and titrate up slowly in 2 weekly time. New studies showed that it reduce mortality in Class II-IV heart failure patients.

Side effect: asthmatic attack, bradycardia, worsening of heart failure


Chlorothiazide

diuretic. Used for treatment of hypertension, heart failure

Dose: 0.5-1g PO/IV

Side effects: hypotension, hypokalemia, impaired renal function

Cholestyramine

bile acid sequestrant. Treamtment of hyperlipidaemia

Dose: 12-24gm PO

Side effect: decrease absorption of Vit A,D,E,K., constipation

Contra: Complete biliary obstruction

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Clofibrate

Fibric acid derivative. treatment of hyperlipideamia

Dose: 2G PO

Side effect: nausea, diarrhoea, myopathy

Clopidrogel

A new anti-platelet (acts on ADP receptor) with similar action to ticlodipine. Use for angina, PTCA/S procedures and strokes. New studies showed that it useful for unstable angina and myocardial infarction. Especially important after stenting to keep the stents patent. Recently, studies have shown that longer term use of this drug will help in the patency of the drug eluting stents.

Side effects: bleeding tendency, allergic reaction, GI upset, TTP.

Digoxin

Digitalis. Use for the control of ventricular rate in atrial fibrillation, heart failure and PAF

Dose: 0.0625-0.3125mg /day

Side effect: atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, heart blocks, GI upset

Contra: ventricular fibrillation

Dipyridamole

Antiplatelet. Use for prevention of thromboembolic disease, cardiac valvulaer replacement, stenting.

Dose: 75-100mg BD PO

Side effect: hypotension

Disopyramide

Class Ia anti-arrhythmic. Treatment of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias

Dose: 300-600mg/day PO

Side effect: heart failure, hypotension, prolong QT, heart block

Dobutamine

inotopic agent. Use for blood pressure support, hypotension.

Dose: 2-40ug/kg/min iv

Side effect: increase heat rate, myocardial ischemia, increase risk of arrhythmia

Contra: hypertrophic heart disease, severe aortic stenosis

Dofetilide

to treat AF and restoration of normal cardiac rhythm.

Side effect: TdP arrhythmia

Dopamine

inotopic agent. Use for blood pressure support, hypotension, renal vascular perfusion (low dose)

Dose: 2-50ug/kg/min iv

Side effect: increase heat rate, myocardial ischemia, increase risk of arrhythmia

Contra: pheochromocytoma, tachyarrhythmia

Enalapril

ACEI. see Captopril

Dose: 2.5-40mg/day

Side effect & Contra: see captopril

Epinephrine

Vasopressor. treatment of hypotension and shock, ventricular fibrillation, asystole, cardiac arrest, bradycardia, analyphylactic shock

Dose: 1-20ug/min

Side effect: sweating, headache, increase heart rate, peripheral vasocontriction with necrosis of tissue

Felodipine

Calcium Channel blocker (CCB). see amilodipine

Dose: 5-10mg/day

Flecainide

Class Ic antiarrhythmic. Treatment of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.

Dose: 100-400mg/day

Side effect: heart failure, heart block, increase mortality in post myocardial infarction with ventricular ectopics

Furosemide

Loop diuretics. Treatment of hypertnsion and heart failure

Dose: 20-600mg/day

Side effect: GI upset, sensivity, hypotension, hypokalemia
 

Heparin

Anticoagulant. Treatment of deep vein thrombisis, pulmonary embolism, acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, peripheral vessel embolism.

Dose: 5,000U iv bolus and 500-2,000U/hour. Adjusted by APTT time.

5,000-20,000U S.C. for prophylaxis

Side effect: bleeding, low platelets, osteoporosis

Contra: severe thrombocytopenia, bleeding tendency

Heparin (low molecular weight)

Anticoagulant. Prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism. Also used after PTCA/S.

Dose: 0.2-1.0 ml S.C. every 12 hours

Side effect: same as heparin

Hydralazine

direct vasodilator. Treatment of malignant hypertension, heart failure, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia

Dose: 10-400mg/day PO, iv 10mg bolus with 200-600mg/day maintaince

Side effect: edema, hypotension

Contra: myocardial ischemia, severe mitral valve disease

Ibutilide

Class III antiarrhythmic. IV preparation for acute conversion of atrial fibrillation or flutter.

Dose: 1mg in 2 divided dose over 30mins

Side effect: ventricular arrhythmias

Isosorbide dinitrate

Nitrate. treatment of angina and ischemic heart disease

Dose: 5-20mg PO

Side effect: headache, hypotension, tolerance to drug, flushing

Contra: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe anaemia

* Drug expires if container opened for more than 3 months

Labetalol

alpha and beta blocker. Treatment of hypertension, pheochromocytoma and dissecting aortic aneurysm

Dose: 100-400mg BD PO. 20mg iv bolus

Side effect and contra: see atenolol

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Lidocaine

Class Ib anti-arrhythmic. Treatment of ventricular arrhythmiac, ventricular fibrillation

Dose: 50-150mg iv bolus 1-4mg/min infusion maintaince

Side effect: confusion, dizziness, hypotension

Contra: severe SA or AV nodal disease

Lisinopril

ACEI. see captopril

Dose: 10-40mg/day

Losartan

Ang II receptor antagonist. Treatment of hypertension, may be heart failure

Dose: 50mg qd

Side effect: hypotension, hyperkalemia, renal impairment

Lovastatin

HMGCoA reductase inhibitor. Treatment of hyperlipidemia

Dose: 20-40mg/day PO

Side effect: myopathy, myalgia, liver impairment, rhabdomyolysis

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Methydopa

Alpha-blocker (central). Treatment of hypertension

Dose: 250-500 tds-qid PO

Side effect: sedation, headache, liver impairment, haemolytic anaemia

Contra: hepatitis (acute)

Metoprolol

beta-1-selective blocker. Treatment of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and post myocardial infarction decrease in mortality.

Dose: 50-450mg/day BD PO.

Side effect and contra: see atenolol

Minoxidil

direct vasodilator. treatment of hypertension and heart failure

Dose: 2.5-40mg/day

Side effect: edema, tachycardia, hypotension, pericardial effusion, hypertrichosis

Nifedipine

CCB- see amlodipine

Dose: 5-20 tds PO

Nimodipine

CCB

Dose: for subarachnoid haemorrhage 60mg q4h for 3 weeks

Nitroglycerin

Nitrate. treatment of angina and ischemic heart disease

Dose: 0.15-0.6mg SL

Side effect and contra: see isosorbide dinitrate


Nitropusside

direct vasodilator. Treatment of hypertension, heart failure and dissecting aorta aneurysm

dose: 0.3-10ug/kg/min iv infusion. titrate with BP

Side effect: hypotension, thiocyanide posioning, tachycardia, shock

Pravastatin

HMGCoA reductase inhibitor. see lovastatin

Dose: 10-40mg/day

Procainamide

Class Ia antiarrhythmoc. treatment of atrail and ventricular arrhythmias

Dose: 50mg/kg/day q3h

Side effect: hypotension, rash, SLE like syndrome, agranulocytosis

Propranolol

beta-blocker. see atenolol

Dose: 10-30 tds/qid PO

Protamine

heparin antagonist. Reversal of heparin anticoagulation and treatment of overdose

Dose: 10-50mg iv

Side effect: hypotension, allergy, heparin rebound
 
 

Rosuvastatin

a new HMGCoA reductase inhibitor. It has been shown to be the strongest statin to lower LDL.

Dose: 5-40mg PO

Side effect: see other statins

Simvastatin

HMGCoA reductase inhibitor. see lovostatin

Dose: 5-40mg/day PO

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Sotalol

Class II and III anti-arrhythmic. Treatment of supraventricular arrhythmia and ventricular arrhythmia

Dose: 20-240 BD PO

Side effect: see atenolol, also prolong QT and risk of Torsade de Pointes

Streptokinase

thrombolytic. Treatment of acute myocardial infarction (onset of chest pain less than 12 hours) and pulmonary embolism

Dose: 1.5MU over 30-60 mins iv

Side effect and contra: see tPA

Ticlodipine

antiplatelet agent. Stroke prevention and thromboembolic disease, also used for PTCA and stenting procedures (less used now because of the side effects.

Dose: 250mg BD PO

Side effect: GI upset, decrease platelet and white cell, impair liver function, TTP

Contra: neutropenia, bleeding tendency

Urokinase

thrombolytic. see streptokinase

Dose: 2-3MU over 60 minutes

Verapamil

CCB. treatment of hypertension, angina and atrial arrhythmias.

Dose: 40-120mg tds PO 5-10mg iv

Side effect: heart block and heart failure (esp. with beta blocker), edema

Contra: heart block, heart failure, hypotension, AF with accessary pathway, iv beta blocker.

Warfarin

anticoagulant. Prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolic disease, pulmonary embolism

Dose: 1-10mg/day PO titrate according to INR

Side effect: bleeding, allergy

Contra: pregnancy, bleeding tendency, suspected Protein C,S deficiency
 

Ximelagatran

first oral treatment in a new class of direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) to prevent and treat thrombosis

no need for INR monitoring

Side effect: bleeding

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Mail to Dr. Michael Wan (No clinical questions please)