Patient was educated on Sotalol and its mechanism of action as follows:
- Sotalol is an antiarrhythmic potassium channel blocker medication that blocks the movement of potassium ions out of the cells in the cardiac muscle.
- Sotalol in addition to being a potassium channel blocker is also a Beta blocker. Being a Beta blocker, Sotalol inhibits the action of adrenaline on Beta-1 and Beta- 2 receptors, and can result in slow heart rate and bronchoconstriction.
- Being a potassium channel blocker, Sotalol blocks the exit of potassium ions from the cells of cardiac muscle, resulting in prolongation of the repolarization of heart muscle cells. This leads to prolonging the total duration of action potential and the refractory period of cardiac muscle cells.
- By prolonging the duration of repolarization of the heart muscle, Sotalol prolongs 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. Sotalol 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.
