Sodium channel blockers
To recall all class I antiarrhythmic medications, think of ordering a burger at a restaurant: “Double Quarter Pounder with Lettuce, Mayo, Pickles, and Fries, Please!” - Anonymous
image by: HWN
HWN Suggests
Class I antiarrhythmic agents
Specifically, the drugs of interest here are the Class I agents by Vaughan Williams classification, a group of membrane stabilisers which are united by their common mechanism of effect, which is interference with the fast sodium current in cardiac myocytes...
Though it appears that virtually everybody has at some stage published a paper or written a blog post about Class I agents, it was remarkably difficult to track down enough information about the origins and mechanisms of their unique electrophysiological properties. What is offered here was pieced together from several sources, none of which could be recommended independently, as each has substantial shortcomings.
Articles of Interest
Anti arrhythmic - Classification & Class 1 agents
Anti arrhythmic - Classification & Class 1 agents Antiarrhythmic drugs are used to prevent recurrent arrhythmias and restore...
Class 1 Antiarrhythmic Drugs (Sodium Channel Blockers)
To recall all class I antiarrhythmic medications, think of ordering a burger at a restaurant: “Double Quarter Pounder with Lettuce, Mayo, Pickles, and Fries, Please!” .
Revisiting Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation: Reviewing Lessons Learned and Redefining Therapeutic Paradigms
Since the clinical use of digitalis as the first pharmacological therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) 235 years ago in 1785, antiarrhythmic drug therapy has advanced considerably and become a cornerstone of AF clinical management. Yet, a preventive or curative panacea for sustained AF does not exist despite the rise of AF global prevalence to epidemiological proportions.
Sodium-Channel Blockers (Class I Antiarrhythmics)
The anticholinergic effects of IA drugs can produce tachycardia, dry mouth, urinary retention, blurred vision and constipation. Diarrhea, nausea, headache and dizziness are also common side effects of many Class I drugs. Quinidine enhances digitalis toxicity, especially if hypokalemia is present. Quinidine, by delaying repolarization, can precipitate torsades de pointes (especially in patients with long-QT syndrome), a ventricular tachyarrhythmia caused by afterdepolarizations.
