How do you remember the side effects of anticholinergics?

Students often learn the adverse effects of anticholinergics from a mnemonic, e.g.: “Blind as a bat, mad as a hatter, red as a beet, hot as a hare, dry as a bone, the bowel and bladder lose their tone, and the heart runs alone.” This refers to pupillary dilation and impaired lens accommodation, delusions.

What are the side effects of atropine?

These include dryness of the mouth, blurred vision, dry eyes, photophobia, confusion, headache, dizziness, fatigue, tachycardia, palpitations, flushing, urinary hesitance or retention, constipation, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, nausea, vomiting, loss of libido, and impotency.

What are the uses and side effect of atropine?

Atropine is used to help reduce saliva, mucus, or other secretions in your airway during a surgery. Atropine is sometimes used as an antidote to treat certain types of poisoning. Atropine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the mnemonic used to remember the symptoms of atropine toxicity?

A common mnemonic used to describe the physiologic manifestations of atropine overdose is: “hot as a hare, blind as a bat, dry as a bone, red as a beet, and mad as a hatter”.

How can I remember the side effects of medication?

Having a list of drugs grouped together by side effect forces you to make some of those connections (and it allows you to be mindful of synergistic drug-drug interactions). Secondly, every time you add something to one of your side effect lists, you’ll naturally review the other drugs already on the list.

How do you remember cholinergic vs anticholinergic?

Cholinergic drugs stimulate the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system by activating receptors for acetylcholine. Anticholinergic drugs inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system by blocking the action of acetylcholine so that it cannot bind to receptors that initiate the parasympathetic response.

Which adverse effects would the nurse monitor for in a patient receiving atropine?

Which adverse effects should the nurse monitor for in a patient receiving atropine? Atropine blocks the vagus nerve impact on the heart, leading to an increase in heart rate. This can adversely increase the rate too much. Although atropine is given to treat bradycardia, a paradoxical bradycardia can occur.

Does atropine cause tachycardia?

Although high-dose atropine blocks vagal activity at the cardiac level, causing tachycardia, a central muscarinic receptor blockade causing vagal activation is suggested by a relative increase in the HF component of MSNA.

Does atropine cause hypertension?

However, when given by itself, atropine does not exert a striking or uniform effect on blood vessels or blood pressure. Systemic doses slightly raise systolic and lower diastolic pressures and can produce significant postural hypotension.