verapamil

[Spock]

The old saying is the only difference between a medication and a poison is dosage. I have never given verapamil in the field but have given it in the hospital. As already noted it must be given very slowly or hypotension and vomiting will result. We have replaced it with cardizem in our trucks but our command doctors are pushing cardioversion as the front line treatment.

I was just mentioning edrophonium under a different topic. It will slow a tachy rate if given without an anticholinergic because of its muscarinc effects. However, my ePocretes drug program says edrophonium is no longer available in the USA.

Live long and prosper.

Spock

[firefighter523]

Rid wrote::: I agree, for tachyarrhythmias, Adenacard is much more effective and less riskier than Calan.

Just wondering the rationale for this statement.

Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker, it works on "blocking the calcium channels". Adenosine, on the other hand is a natural occurring agent that chemically converts PSVT into a normal sinus, by tiring out the AV node.

Adenocard will not work for rapid A-flutter, or A-fib...