Which of the following is not a contraindication for use of digitalis?
Correct Answer: Hyperkalemia
Description: Digitalis dried leaf of Digitalis purpurea; a cardiac glycoside. All drugs prepared from this digitalis leaf are members of the same group and principles of administration are the same, although they vary according to speed of action and potency. Digitalis in its many forms is one of the most frequently prescribed drugs in the United States. It can be very effective in treatment of cardiac conditions, but its therapeutic range is narrow; a therapeutic dose is only about one third less than the dose that will induce toxicity. Moreover, physiologic changes due to age, electrolyte disturbances, renal impairment, metabolic disorders, and ceain hea conditions can predispose a patient to digitalis toxicity. Other drugs can also alter the effects of digitalis and lead to toxicity. Signs of Toxicity. Traditionally, nurses have been taught to count the patient&;s pulse or monitor the apical heabeat for rate and rhythm before administering a digitalis preparation. A decreased pulse rate of 60 per minute or less is an indication that the drug should be temporarily discontinued. While this is the most typical sign of digitalis intoxication, there frequently are earlier symptoms that deserve attention. Some of the more common complaints expressed by patients who are in the early stages of toxicity are nausea, blurred vision, mental depression, disorientation, and malaise. Objective signs include vomiting, diarrhea, and confusion.Ref: Ganong&;s review of medical physiology, 23rd edition, Page no: 508
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