Patient was educated on potassium channel blockers and their mechanism of action as follows:
- Potassium channel blockers are medications that block the movement of potassium ions out of the cells in the cardiac muscle.
- Blocking the exit of potassium ions from the cells of cardiac muscle results in prolongation of the repolarization of heart muscle cells and thereby, prolong the total duration of action potential and the refractory period of cardiac muscle cells.
- By prolonging the duration of repolarization of the heart muscle, potassium channel blockers prolong the duration of action potential of heart muscle and thereby, tend to reduce the number of beats per minute.
- Tissues in refractory period cannot initiate or conduct new impulses. For tissues to initiate or conduct a new impulse, the refractory period should end. Potassium channel blockers by prolonging the refractory period of cardiac tissues prevent the initiation and conduction of any new impulses and thereby, help to prevent arrhythmias.
- Increasing the refractoriness of the heart muscle cells can prevent any additional excitation of the heart muscle tissue, thus helping in preventing abnormal heart rate and rhythm in conditions, such as, atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular flutter, and ventricular fibrillation.
- Examples of potassium channel blockers include Sotalol, Amiodarone, and Dofetilide.
