Nursing Pharmacology · NCLEX-RN

Nursing Pharmacology: Cardiac Medications

Digoxin, antihypertensives, and antiarrhythmics with the single most important nursing consideration for each drug class.

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What drug class is digoxin?
Cardiac glycoside
What is the primary therapeutic effect of digoxin on the heart?
Increases the force of myocardial contraction while decreasing heart rate
Before administering digoxin, what must the nurse always assess first?
The apical pulse, counted for one full minute
Digoxin should be held and the prescriber notified if the apical pulse is below ____ in an adult.
60 bpm
The therapeutic serum level range for digoxin is ____.
0.5 to 2.0 ng/mL
What are early signs of digoxin toxicity?
Nausea, vomiting, and anorexia
What classic visual disturbance is associated with digoxin toxicity?
Seeing yellow-green halos around lights
Which electrolyte imbalance increases the risk of digoxin toxicity?
Hypokalemia (low potassium)
What is the antidote for severe digoxin toxicity?
Digoxin immune Fab (Digibind)
What suffix do most ACE inhibitor generic drug names share?
-pril (e.g., lisinopril, captopril)
What serious adverse reaction must a nurse monitor for with ACE inhibitors?
Angioedema (swelling of the face, lips, or tongue)
What common bothersome side effect causes many patients to stop taking ACE inhibitors?
A persistent dry cough
Which electrolyte should be monitored closely in patients taking ACE inhibitors?
Potassium, due to risk of hyperkalemia
What suffix do most ARB (angiotensin receptor blocker) generic drug names share?
-sartan (e.g., losartan, valsartan)
What advantage do ARBs have over ACE inhibitors?
They do not cause the persistent dry cough

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