Hydralazine
Included In This Lesson
Study Tools For Hydralazine
Outline
Overview
- Hydralazine- direct acting vasodilator
- Indications
- Hypertension
- Heart failure
- Mechanism of action
- Unclear
- 3 types of mechanism suggested
- Releases nitric oxide from vascular endothelial cells causing vasodilation
- Blocks the entry of calcium in the smooth muscle cells and causing vasodilation.
- Opening the potassium channels causing the hyperpolarization and causing the vasodilation
- Indications
General
- Hydralazine is often given in hospital to quickly lower blood pressure
- Often given with a diuretic for best effect
Assessment
- Assessing for side effects
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Flushing
- Tachycardia and palpiations
- Edema
Therapeutic Management
- Monitor blood pressure frequently at the start of therapy
- Discontinue slowly to avoid rapid rise in blood pressure
Nursing Concepts
- Perfusion
- Hydralazine affects perfusion by decreasing the work load of the heart.
- Pharmacology
- Hydralazine is often prescribed to treat hypertension.
Patient Education
- Caution patients to avoid sudden changes in position to prevent orthostatic hypotension.
- Patients should weigh themselves and monitor for fluid retention.
Transcript
So, in this one, we gonna talk about the hydralazine. This medication doesn’t fall in any category because its mechanism of actions is really unknown. There are many mechanisms are suggested and nothing’s really established with this medication. So, we can say this medication is direct-acting vasodilator. So, that’s just like its own drug, no category.
Let’s talk about the mechanism of action. It is not clear at all. So, here, you can see, there are like 3 types of mechanism suggested that this medication may be working by, but nothing specific. The first one is by releasing nitric oxide from vascular endothelial cells and causing vasodilation. Same as nitroglycerin and sodium nitroprusside like nitro compounds. Or, maybe, by blocking the entry of calcium in the smooth muscle cells and causing vasodilation, same as calcium-channel blocker. And this is not specific, they’re thinking it may be working by that or both. Or, it maybe opening the potassium channels and causing the hyperpolarization and causing the vasodilation. So, these 3 mechanism of action are not, they think the medication maybe working by this mechanism but nothing specific. This mechanism, depending on the mechanism, causes the vasodilation.
This medication maybe used for hypertension, and heart failure. The reason we use this medication for the heart failure, because when we decrease the blood pressure, it’s basically decreasing the afterload. So, when heart left ventricle pumps up the blood into the aorta. If it is decreased blood pressure, that means if aorta and all the arteries are dilated, the left ventricle doesn’t have to push hard or pump hard in order to eject the blood out of the heart into the systemic circulation. So, that’s why it decreases the work load of the heart by decreasing the blood pressure and that’s why it can be used in heart failure as well. But the main reason or the main use for this medication have seen quite often in hospitals or if a patient has high blood pressure.
What are the side effects? This medication works by dilating the vessels, it causes the headache, because when you have dilated vessels in the brain, it holds more blood, it causes the pressure on the brain cells, it causes the headache. So, like, the way it works. It causes the flushing, tachycardia, and lupus like syndrome. And this is the main one, not really often, but sometime they may ask this Hydralizine causes side effects, so, Lupus like syndrome, it can cause.
So, this is really a short drug and this doesn’t fall in any category, so, I just want to cover it separately, mainly used for the hypertension. If you have any question about this drug, feel free to ask us questions. Thanks for watching.
review all the things
Concepts Covered:
- Cardiovascular
- Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
- Cardiac Disorders
- Shock
- Shock
- Disorders of the Posterior Pituitary Gland
- Endocrine
- Disorders of Pancreas
- Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
- Hematology
- Gastrointestinal
- Upper GI Disorders
- Newborn Complications
- Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
- Lower GI Disorders
- Multisystem
- Neurological
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Brain
- Renal
- Respiratory
- Urinary System
- Respiratory System
- Noninfectious Respiratory Disorder
- Test Taking Strategies
- Medication Administration
- Respiratory Disorders
- Pregnancy Risks
- Labor Complications
- Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
- Factors Influencing Community Health
- EENT Disorders
- Basics of Chemistry
- Adult
- Emergency Care of the Neurological Patient
- Acute & Chronic Renal Disorders
- Emergency Care of the Respiratory Patient
- Respiratory Emergencies
- Studying
- Substance Abuse Disorders
- Disorders of the Adrenal Gland
- Behavior
- Documentation and Communication
- Preoperative Nursing
- Endocrine System
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- Basics of NCLEX
- Communication
- Understanding Society
- Immunological Disorders
- Cognitive Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Trauma
- Intraoperative Nursing
- Eating Disorders
- Prenatal Concepts
- Anxiety Disorders
- Depressive Disorders
- Oncology Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Psychotic Disorders
- Trauma-Stress Disorders
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Circulatory System
- Integumentary Disorders
- Neurologic and Cognitive Disorders
- Nervous System
- Microbiology
- Hematologic Disorders
- Emergency Care of the Trauma Patient
- Newborn Care
- Digestive System
- Urinary Disorders
- Postpartum Care
- Infectious Respiratory Disorder
- Integumentary Disorders
- Terminology
- Concepts of Population Health
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Postpartum Complications
- Postoperative Nursing
- Neurological Emergencies
- Vascular Disorders
- Disorders of Thermoregulation
- Statistics
- Neurological Trauma
- Cardiovascular Disorders
- Basic
- Concepts of Mental Health
- Health & Stress
- Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
- Delegation
- Perioperative Nursing Roles
- Developmental Considerations
- Childhood Growth and Development
- Prenatal and Neonatal Growth and Development
- Renal Disorders
- Concepts of Pharmacology
- Integumentary Important Points
- Fetal Development
- Renal and Urinary Disorders
- Community Health Overview
- Developmental Theories
- Labor and Delivery
- Infectious Disease Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Basics of Human Biology
- Psychological Emergencies
- Adulthood Growth and Development
- Growth & Development
- Female Reproductive Disorders
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Proteins
- Hematologic Disorders
- Tissues and Glands
- Somatoform Disorders
- Oncologic Disorders
- Skeletal System
- Basics of Sociology
- Bipolar Disorders
- Emotions and Motivation
- Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Spinal Cord
- Neonatal
- Male Reproductive Disorders
- Prioritization
- Pediatric
- Psychological Disorders
- State of Consciousness
- Sensory System