Class III antiarrhythmic drugs
Class III antiarrhythmics: Potassium channel blockers Class III drugs primarily target rapid (IKr) and slow (IKs) delayed rectifier K+ The main effects are increased action potential duration and refractoriness, which helps suppress atrial and ventricular arrhythmias caused by re-entry. Class III drugs can cause life-threatening proarrhythmia. Drugs Sotalol Amiodarone Ibutilide Dofetilide Dronedarone Memory aid A […]
Class II antiarrhythmic drugs
Class II antiarrhythmics: Beta-adrenergic receptor blockers Drugs Carvedilol Propranolol Atenolol Bisoprolol Metoprolol Esmolol Typically considered Class III, but also Class II is sotalol (sotalol will be discussed with Class III agents in this module) Memory aid Beta-blockers have the common drug stem -lol. Background required to understand mechanism We will cover more information regarding the […]
Class I antiarrhythmic drugs
Class I antiarrhythmics: Voltage-gated sodium channel blockers Class I drugs block Na+ channels, reduce excitability, and increase the threshold potential. The Class I antiarrhythmics are further broken down into 3 categories: Class IA, IB, and IC. Class Generic names Mnemonic device Image IA Disopyramide Quinidine Procainamide Double Quarter Pounder IB Lidocaine Mexiletine Lettuce Mayo IC […]
Antiarrhythmic drugs
There are several strategies to categorize antiarrhythmic drugs, each with their advantages and disadvantages. For the purposes of this learning module, we will use the Singh Vaughan-Williams classification system, which originally contained four classes, but was updated to include drugs that do not fit into those classes. The Singh Vaughan-Williams classification system now includes Class […]
Critical appraisal of a prospective cohort study
In this session, we will assess a paper that is a prospective cohort study about community burden and transmission of acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus and rotavirus. We will also revisit the terms incidence, prevalence, and attack rate. Learning goals Learning activities Required reading Demonstrate respectful, constructive, adaptive interactions with peers and/or facilitators, including punctual […]
Observational study design
Learning Goals Resources Describe the design of case-control studies Discuss biases and confounds in case-control studies Discuss possible ways to deal with confounding in the design or analysis of an observational study Define and discuss the appropriate use of a cross-sectional study Differentiate between real and spurious associations in observational studies Describe a frequent sequence […]
Critical appraisal of a prospective cohort study (Facilitator)
In this session, we will assess a paper that is a prospective cohort study about community burden and transmission of acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus and rotavirus. We will also revisit the terms incidence, prevalence, and attack rate. Learning goals Learning activities Required reading Demonstrate respectful, constructive, adaptive interactions with peers and/or facilitators, including punctual […]
Differential diagnosis of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia
Feature HUS TTP Scleroderma Renal Crisis (SRC) HELLP Malignant HTN Typical setting Child after diarrheal illness (EHEC) Adults; autoimmune or idiopathic Systemic sclerosis (esp diffuse, early disease) Pregnancy (3rd trimester/postpartum) Long-standing uncontrolled HTN Key trigger Shiga toxin ā ADAMTS13 RAAS activation from endothelial injury Placental endothelial dysfunction Severe BP elevation Platelets ā āāā ā ā […]
Immune system and rheumatology resources
Systemic sclerosis and Raynaud’s phenomenon
Case study 1: Hae Tap the arrow to view the case.Hae, a 40-year-old woman, is evaluated for a 9-month history of Raynaud phenomenon. She reports no difficulty swallowing, dyspnea on exertion, or hand stiffness. She has recently developed gastroesophageal reflux disease.On physical examination, vital signs are normal. The skin between the distal and proximal interphalangeal […]