Calm the Rhythm, Save the Patient: Antiarrhythmics You’ll Never Forget with Chloe Gomez, DNP, CRNA

Antiarrhythmics don’t have to feel like chaos. In this solo lecture, CRNA educator Chloe Gomez, DNP, CRNA breaks down antiarrhythmic pharmacology using clear physiology, memorable frameworks, and anesthesia-specific clinical relevance - perfect for SRNAs, CRNAs, and anesthesia providers preparing for boards and clinical practice.

This episode walks step-by-step through the Vaughan Williams classification system (Class I–IV) and explains why these drugs work, not just what list they belong to. You’ll learn how antiarrhythmics interact with sodium, potassium, calcium channels, and beta receptors, and how those effects translate to changes in phase 0 depolarization, action potential duration, refractory periods, and conduction velocity.

Key topics covered include:

• Class I sodium channel blockers (IA, IB, IC): how they alter phase 0, QRS width, and conduction

• Class II beta blockers: AV node effects, rate control, and anesthesia considerations

• Class III potassium channel blockers: action potential prolongation, QT interval risk, and torsades

• Class IV calcium channel blockers: nodal suppression and hemodynamic effects

• Why electrolytes (K⁺, Mg²⁺) matter when using antiarrhythmics

• How antiarrhythmics can become pro-arrhythmic

• What anesthesia providers must watch for in the OR, ICU, and PACU

This lecture emphasizes mechanism-based understanding, tying pharmacology directly to:

• ECG changes

• Perioperative risk stratification

• Volatile anesthetics and arrhythmia risk

• Drug interactions common in anesthesia practice

• Board-style clinical reasoning for the NBCRNA NCE

If you’ve ever memorized the Vaughan Williams classes and immediately forgotten them, this episode is designed to finally make antiarrhythmics stick - so you can reason through arrhythmias with confidence instead of panic.

🎧 Antiarrhythmics decoded for anesthesia learners - fewer tables, more understanding, safer practice.