MCSA A nursing student is preparing to give amiodarone(Cordarone) to a client with a resistant ventricular tachycardia. Her instructor asks her to identify amiodarone's mechanism of action. What is the best response by the student?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Amiodarone works by prolonging the refractory period of the heart. This means that the heart muscle cells take longer to recover after each heartbeat, which in turn helps to prevent the onset of abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia. Amiodarone has a number of other effects on the heart as well, including slowing conduction velocity and decreasing automaticity of the SA node and AV node, but prolonging the refractory period is its primary mechanism of action.

MCSA a Nursing Student Is Preparing to Give Amiodarone(Cordarone) to a Client