Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Drugs and the Cardiovascular System

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Pharmacological Basis of Acute Care

  • 1676 Accesses

Abstract

The function of the cardiovascular system is to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Failure of the cardiovascular system will result in tissue hypoxia. There are many categories of drugs that can be used to support the cardiovascular system by acting on the heart (pump) and/or the vessels (conduit). Many of these drugs act on the autonomic nervous system through various receptors and ion channels. Inotropes improve the contractility of the heart, whilst antiarrhythmic agents restore sinus rhythm and optimise heart rate for maximal efficiency of the pump. The oxygen delivery to the myocardium is maintained with the aid of coronary vasodilators in patients with ischemic heart disease. Vasopressors are administered to increase perfusion pressure and so improve flow, whilst vasodilators are used to treat hypertension which helps to decrease the work of the heart, while improving the blood flow to the myocardium. Most drugs administered to improve the function of the cardiovascular system have multiple mechanisms of action and may have more than one effect on the cardiovascular system, so they must be administered with caution and titrated to effect, and their effects monitored closely.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Further Reading

  1. Benham-Hermetz J, Lambert M, Stephens RCM. Cardiovascular failure, inotropes and vasopressors. Br J Hosp Med. 2012;73:C74–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Dougherty M, Webb ST. Inotropes and vasoactives. In: Mackay JH, Arrowsmith JE, editors. Core topics in cardiac anaesthesia. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ellender TJ, Skinner JC. The use of vasopressors and inotropes in the emergency medical treatment of shock. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2008;28:759–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Homoud MK. Introduction to antiarrhythmic agents. Tufts-New England Medical Center. 2008. Cited May 2014. Available from http://ocw.tufts.edu/data/50/636944.pdf. Last accessed 22nd June 2014.

  5. Klabunde RE. Cardiovascular pharmacology concepts. Available from http://www.cvpharmacology.com. Last accessed 12th June 2014.

  6. Overgaard CB, Dzavik V. Inotropes and vasopressors: review of physiology and clinical use in cardiovascular disease. Circulation. 2008;118:1047–56.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Tristan Walker. Basics of cardiac pharmacology. Available from http://learnpediatrics.com/body-systems/cardiology/basics-of-cardiac-pharmacology/. Last accessed 22nd June 2014.

  8. Vaughn Williams EM. A classification of antiarrhythmic actions reassessed after a decade of new drugs. J Clin Pharmacol. 1984;24(4):129–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Noorjahan Haneem Md Hashim M.B.B.S., M.Anaes

Authors
  1. Noorjahan Haneem Md Hashim M.B.B.S., M.Anaes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Noorjahan Haneem Md Hashim M.B.B.S., M.Anaes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Malaya, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Yoo Kuen Chan

  2. Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

    Kwee Peng Ng

  3. Department of Pharmacology, University of Malaysia, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Debra Si Mui Sim

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Md Hashim, N.H. (2015). Drugs and the Cardiovascular System. In: Chan, Y., Ng, K., Sim, D. (eds) Pharmacological Basis of Acute Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10386-0_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10386-0_11

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-10385-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-10386-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation