NCLEX Review: Atenolol (Beta-Blocker) – Mechanism of Action, Uses, Side effects, Contraindications, and Nursing considerations
Hi everyone this is ryan from rpnt.ca and today we’re going to be talking about the drug atenolol also known as tenormin you can use the timestamps in the video description to jump ahead atenolol belongs to the beta blocker drug classification and is used as an antihypertensive and antianginal medication the way that atenolol works is by inhibiting or blocking
A certain part of the nervous system the part of the nervous system that is affected is called the sympathetic nervous system which is also known as the fight-or-flight nervous system normally the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for increasing heart rate increasing blood pressure by causing the blood vessels to constrict causing bronchodilation or
Opening the airway and more all of these effects are very beneficial in a fight or flight state because they all result in more oxygen and more blood flow throughout the body however over time elevated blood pressure can lead to damage of the arteries increasing the risk for angina heart attacks strokes and more atenolol blocks or inhibits the beta-1 adrenergic
Receptors in the sympathetic nervous system for a quick review of beta-adrenergic receptors beta-1 is mainly responsible for increasing heart rate blood pressure and cardiac output while beta-2 is mainly responsible for bronchodilation atenolol is a selective beta-1 blocker also known as a cardioselective beta-blocker this means that atenolol only blocks the
Beta-1 receptors causing the opposite of beta 1’s normal effects so atenolol decreases heart rate decreases blood pressure by vasodilating and decreases cardiac output it is possible but rare to see any inhibitory effects on beta-2 receptors with normal doses of atenolol in higher doses however beta-2 receptors may be inhibited causing bronchoconstriction
So again to sum up atenolol inhibits beta-1 receptors of the adrenergic or fight-or-flight nervous system primarily resulting in decreased heart rate and decreased blood pressure so like we said atenolol is used as an antihypertensive for the management of high blood pressure by causing vasodilation the more dilated the blood vessels are the lower the blood
Pressure and the easier it is for the heart to pump blood into circulation and because the heart has an easier time pumping when we administer a tenalol we can also use it in the treatment of angina so again atenella lowers blood pressure to treat hypertension but it also decreases the workload of the heart or decreases the amount of energy and oxygen that the
Heart requires which is very useful in the treatment of angina atenolol can also be used in the prevention of myocardial infarctions or heart attacks for the same reasons some of the off-labeled uses of atenolol include ventricular arrhythmias by affecting heart rate and contractility of the heart migraines thyrotoxicosis and more a lot of the side effects of
Atenolol are related to how the drug works atenolol may cause bradycardia which is low heart rate and hypotension which is low blood pressure hypotension may manifest as dizziness fatigue weakness and more less common side effects of atenolol include weight gain or edema pulmonary edema and bronchospasms which may present as wheezing coughing and chest pain
Decreased libido and erectile dysfunction and more and due to the side effects atenolol should not be used in clients with pulmonary edema bradycardia hypotension or cardiogenic shock atenolol should be used with caution in clients with copd or asthma due to the risk of inhibiting the beta2 receptors in the sympathetic nervous system as with many drugs used
Cautiously in clients with hepatic or renal impairment and elderly clients due to decreased drug elimination always remember to assess and monitor for side effects of atenolol monitor heart rate and blood pressure before administration typically if heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute where systolic blood pressure is less than 90 hold the medication and
Notify the provider especially for elderly clients instruct lines to avoid rapid changes in position such as changing from sitting to standing to reduce the risk of orthostatic hypotension and falls ensure that diabetic clients are aware that atenolol may mask symptoms of hypoglycemia lastly as with most all anti-hypertensive medications it is important not
To discontinue atenolol abruptly but to instead gradually taper the dose according to the provider’s instructions to reduce the risk of hypertensive crisis and that’s about it for the basics of atenolol if you have any questions please let me know in the comments or visit rpnt.ca for more help
Transcribed from video
Atenolol (Tenormin) Nursing Drug Card (Simplified) – Pharmacology By Nurse Ryan
