Sympatholytics (Alpha & Beta Blockers)

You're watching a preview. 300,000+ students are watching the full lesson.
Master
To Master a topic you must score > 80% on the lesson quiz.
Take Quiz

Included In This Lesson

Study Tools For Sympatholytics (Alpha & Beta Blockers)

RAAS and Cardiac Drugs (Cheatsheet)
50 Most Commonly Prescribed Medications (Cheatsheet)
NURSING.com students have a 99.25% NCLEX pass rate.

Outline

Overview

   I.         Overview

A.    Autonomic nervous system = PNS & SNS

B.    Sympathetic neurotransmitters all over body

1.     Adrenergic 1 / 2

a.     Varying location and nerves, all over body

2.     Beta 1 = Heart (cardio-selective)

3.     Beta 2 = BV, bronchioles, smooth muscle

     II.         Mechanism of Action

A.    Inhibit stimulation of SNS (flight or fight)

B.    Think inhibit stress response

1.     Decrease HR

2.     Decrease BP

3.     Arterial / Venous dilation

4.     Smooth muscle relaxation

   III.         Types

A.    Alpha-Blockers

1.     Doxazosin

2.     Prazosin

3.     Terazosin

4.     Tamsulosin

B.    Cardio-selective Beta-Blockers (B1)

1.     Atenolol

2.     Esmlol

3.     Metoprolol

4.     Bisprplol

C.     Non-selective Beta-Blockers (B2)

1.     Carvedilol

2.     Labetalol

3.     Propranolol

4.     Sotalol

   IV.         Indications

A.    Alpha-Blockers

1.     HTN

2.     Migraines

3.     Pheochromocytoma

4.     BPH

5.     Urinary flow obstruction

6.     Raynaud’s disease

B.    Beta-Blockers

1.     HTN

2.     Angina

3.     Heart failure

4.     Cardiac-protective (after MI)

5.     Dysrhythmias

6.     Migraines

7.     Glaucoma

    V.         Contraindications

A.    Alpha-Blockers

1.     PVD

2.     Hepatic / renal disease

3.     Coronary artery disease

B.    Beta-Blockers

1.     Uncompensated heart failure

2.     Cardiogenic shock

3.     Heart block or bradycardia

4.     Severe pulmonary disease

   VI.         Side Effects

A.    Cardiovascular

1.     Palpitations

2.     Hypotension

3.     Bradycardia

4.     Chest pain

B.    CNS

1.     Headache

2.     Dizziness

3.     Anxiety

4.     Vertigo

C.     GI

1.     N / V / D

D.    * Beta-Blockers

1.     Hypoglycemia

2.     Bronchospasms

3.     Rebound tachycardia (if stopped abruptly)

4.     Hypotension

Unlock the Complete Study System

Used by 300,000+ nursing students. 99.25% NCLEX pass rate.

200% NCLEX Pass Guarantee.
No Contract. Cancel Anytime.

Transcript

Welcome back and today we are doing to discuss sympatholytics.

Sympatholytics work on the autonomic nervous system, mainly the SNS and their neurotransmitters – Adrenergic (which is various locations, think adrenergic = all over) and beta1 (heart) and beta 2 (BV, bronchioles, and smooth muscles).

Now sympatholytic work by inhibiting SNS, so the flight to fight response are inhibited… resulting in lower heart rate, blood pressure, dilation and relaxation. Think the opposite of stress. When you are stressed, you are tachycardic and HTN and generally not relaxed, haha.

Let’s review alpha types, they all tend to end in -OSIN. Do focus on memorization, focus on the ending here.

Next we have beta-blockers. The first section is cardioselective (works mainly within the heart). Non-selective is below and focuses on BV, bronchioles and smooth muscles. Regardless, the ending is -LOL.

Indication for alphas include the following. I want you to focus on what the drug does… inhibit stress responses. So therefore, we are attempting to relax SM, decrease HR and decrease BP. Each indication focuses on those three principles.

Indications for betas focus on the same concept. We are attempting to inhibit the stress response. Angina, HTN, heart failure all stress the heart. Beta-blockers will assist in slowing things down and improving cardiac output.

Contraindications focus on high risk patients populations. in PVD (these drugs cause intermittent claudication, which isn’t good), heart block will be exacerbated with the use of these drugs. The goal here is to assist the heart and vasculature NOT cause more harm.

Cardiac side effects include palpitations, hypotension, bradycardia and chest pain. All of which result from the drug working too well. When the heart beats too slow, my impairs oxygen to the heart, which can cause chest pain. Too low BP = hypotension.

Next we have CNS side effects which can include headache, dizziness, anxiety and vertigo. Again, if you are dilating, previously constricted  areas, dizziness and headaches are common. Focus more on the drug’s action and less of memorization.

Lastly, let’s review unique side effects of beta blockers which include hypoglycemia, bronchospasm, round bound tachycardia and hypotension. If you patient has COPD or is a brittle diabetic, this drug class will be a tough one to manage. Again we are trying to assist not harm so keep these in mind. If a patient for example is admitted with sepsis and has an admitting BP of 80/60, you wouldn’t want to administer their beta-blocker as it will cause more profound hypotension. This is why sympatholytics tend to have BP parameters for administration. You want to check your patient’s BP and HR before administering any sympatholytics, in general.

Priority nursing concepts for a patient receiving sympatholytics include anatomy, perfusion and pharmacology.

Alright let’s review the key points: The how: Inhibition of SNS (flight to fight response). Second, we have the different types -OSIN and -LOL. Indications vary but include HTN, migraines, heart failures, among other things. Contraindications include PVD, heart block and pulm disease. Lastly, we reviewed side effects which included cardiac, CNS, GI and special mentions regarding beta-blockers.

Now you know all you need to know about sympatholytics. Now go out and be your best self and happy nursing!

Study Faster with Full Video Transcripts

99.25% NCLEX Pass Rate vs 88.8% National Average

200% NCLEX Pass Guarantee.
No Contract. Cancel Anytime.

🎉 Special Offer 🎉

Nursing School Doesn't Have To Be So Hard

Go from discouraged and stressed to motivated and passionate

Pharmacology Exam III

Concepts Covered:

  • Oncology Disorders
  • Concepts of Pharmacology
  • Medication Administration
  • Nervous System
  • Adulthood Growth and Development
  • Bipolar Disorders
  • Substance Abuse Disorders
  • Depressive Disorders
  • Disorders of Pancreas
  • Intraoperative Nursing
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Disorders of the Adrenal Gland
  • Central Nervous System Disorders – Brain
  • Hematologic Disorders
  • Respiratory Disorders
  • Cardiac Disorders
  • Immunological Disorders
  • Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
  • Upper GI Disorders
  • Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
  • Cardiovascular Disorders
  • Urinary System
  • Personality Disorders
  • Psychotic Disorders
  • Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
  • Urinary Disorders
  • Pregnancy Risks
  • Female Reproductive Disorders
  • Neurologic and Cognitive Disorders
  • Noninfectious Respiratory Disorder
  • Learning Pharmacology

Study Plan Lessons

Antineoplastics
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacodynamics
Parasympathomimetics (Cholinergics) Nursing Considerations
Pain Management for the Older Adult – Live Tutoring Archive
Mood Stabilizers
Methadone (Methadose) Nursing Considerations
MAOIs
Interactive Pharmacology Practice
Insulin Mixing
Insulin Drips
Insulin – Mixtures (70/30)
Insulin – Long Acting (Lantus) Nursing Considerations
Insulin
Glipizide (Glucotrol) Nursing Considerations
Barbiturates
Antidepressants
Antianxiety Meds
Addisons Assessment Nursing Mnemonic (STEROID)
Anticonvulsants
Antianxiety Meds
Barbiturates
MAOIs
Phenobarbital (Luminal) Nursing Considerations
TCAs
Anti Tumor Antibiotics
Alkylating Agents
Sedatives-Hypnotics
Lithium (Lithonate) Nursing Considerations
Pentobarbital (Nembutal) Nursing Considerations
Fluticasone (Flonase) Nursing Considerations
Corticosteroids
Antidiabetic Agents
Sympatholytics (Alpha & Beta Blockers)
Epoetin Alfa
Cyclosporine (Sandimmune) Nursing Considerations
Iodine Nursing Considerations
Levothyroxine (Synthroid)
Propylthiouracil (PTU) Nursing Considerations
Glucagon (GlucaGen) Nursing Considerations
Histamine 2 Receptor Blockers
Histamine 1 Receptor Blockers
Cardiac Glycosides
Calcium Channel Blockers
ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) Inhibitors
Metoprolol (Toprol XL) Nursing Considerations
Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System
Atypical Antipsychotics
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) Nursing Considerations
Antipsychotics
Haloperidol (Haldol) Nursing Considerations
Atropine (Atropen) Nursing Considerations
Neostigmine (Prostigmin) Nursing Considerations
Parasympatholytics (Anticholinergics) Nursing Considerations
Carbidopa-Levodopa (Sinemet) Nursing Considerations
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Diuretics (Loop, Potassium Sparing, Thiazide, Furosemide/Lasix)
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Ondansetron (Zofran) Nursing Considerations
Insulin – Intermediate Acting (NPH) Nursing Considerations
Insulin – Short Acting (Regular) Nursing Considerations
Insulin – Rapid Acting (Novolog, Humalog) Nursing Considerations
Metformin (Glucophage) Nursing Considerations
Amitriptyline (Elavil) Nursing Considerations
Sertraline (Zoloft) Nursing Considerations
Paroxetine (Paxil) Nursing Considerations
Fluoxetine (Prozac) Nursing Considerations
Escitalopram (Lexapro) Nursing Considerations
SSRIs
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) Nursing Considerations
Antidepressants
Phenytoin (Dilantin) Nursing Considerations
Levetiracetam (Keppra) Nursing Considerations
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Nursing Considerations
Gabapentin (Neurontin) Nursing Considerations
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) Nursing Considerations
Antianxiety Meds
Buspirone (Buspar) Nursing Considerations
Diazepam (Valium) Nursing Considerations
Midazolam (Versed) Nursing Considerations
Lorazepam (Ativan) Nursing Considerations
Alprazolam (Xanax) Nursing Considerations
Benzodiazepines
Disease Specific Medications
Pharmacology Course Introduction
The SOCK Method – Overview