Medical Pharmacology Chapter 8: Antiarrhythmic Drugs Practice Questions

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Question # 1 (Multiple Answer) Consequences of reduced sodium activation because of reduced membrane potential (less negative):

    A) decreased upstroke velocity
    B) reduced excitability
    C) decreased conduction velocity
    D) decreased effective refractory period

Question # 2 (Multiple Choice) In the cardiac Purkinje fiber action potential: the major current-carrying ion for phase 0 is:

    A) potassium
    B) sodium
    C) calcium

Question # 3 (Multiple Choice) A polymorphic ventricular arrhythmia, especially associated with prolonged QT intervals; possibly induced by early afterdepolarizations

    A) supraventricular tachyarrhythmia
    B) Torsades de Pointes
    C) both
    D) neither

Question # 4 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac membrane ionic gate state(s) is/are controlled by:

    A) ionic conditions
    B) metabolic conditions
    C) transmembrane potential (voltage)

Question # 5 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac cells tie in which the resting membrane potential drifts towards threshold:

    A) normal His-Purkinje cells
    B) normal ventricular muscle cells
    C) SA nodal cells
    D) ischemic ventricular muscle cells

Question # 6 (Multiple Answer) Factors that increase phase 4 depolarization:

    A) mechanical cardiac muscle fiber stretch
    B) increased vagal tone
    C) beta-adrenergic stimulation
    D) hypokalemia

Question # 7 (Multiple Choice) The primary repolarization phase of the Purkinje fiber or ventricular muscle cell action potential:

    A) Phase 0
    B) Phase 1
    C) Phase 2
    D) Phase 3
    E) Phase for

Question # 8 (Multiple Choice) Triggered automaticity: associated with significant prolongation of the action potential duration:

    A) delayed afterdepolarization (DAD)
    B) early afterdepolarization (EAD)
    C) both
    D) neither

Question # 9 (Multiple Choice) Phase of the Purkinje fiber action potential composed of the combination of inward, depolarizing calcium current balanced by an outward, repolarizing potassium current (delayed rectifier):

    A) phase 0
    B) phase 1
    C) phase 2
    D) phase 3
    E) phase 4

Question # 10 (Multiple Choice) Factors reducing cardiac membrane resting potential and could reduce conduction velocity:

    A) hyperkalemia
    B) sodium pump blockade
    C) ischemic cell damage
    D) B & C
    E) A, B & C

Question # 11 (Multiple Answer) Effective in treating Wolff-Parkinson-White-based arrhythmias:

    A) antimuscarinic drugs
    B) beta-adrenergic blockers
    C) digitalis glycosides
    D) beta-adrenergic agonists
    E) calcium channel blockers

Question # 12 (True/False) Most common cardiac induction abnormality leading to arrhythmias -- reentry

    A) true
    B) false

Question # 13 (Multiple Choice) Primary inward, depolarizing current carrying ion in SA nodal and AV nodal tissues:

    A) sodium
    B) calcium
    C) potassium

Question # 14 (Multiple Choice) Less intense sodium current flow upon depolarization:

    A) membrane potential = -80 mV
    B) membrane potential = -50 mV

Question # 15 (Multiple Answer) Increases slope of phase 4 depolarization:

    A) edrophonium
    B) atropine
    C) isoproterenol
    D) propranolol
    E) physostigmine

Question # 16 (Multiple Answer) Factors which may precipitate or worsen arrhythmias:

    A) ischemia
    B) acidosis
    C) alkalosis
    D) cardiac fiber stretch
    E) drug action

Question # 17 (Multiple Choice) The cardiac cell membrane potential is closest to the equilibrium potential of this ion:

    A) sodium
    B) potassium
    C) chloride
    D) calcium
    E) inorganic anions

Question # 18 (Multiple Answer) Principal mechanism(s) associated with many tachyarrhythmias:

    A) suppressed automaticity
    B) reentry
    C) triggered automaticity

Question # 19 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac transmembrane potential: mainly determined by these ionic gradients:

    A) chloride
    B) sodium
    C) potassium
    D) calcium
    E) magnesium

Question # 20 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac membrane permeability -- resting state:

    A) sodium-- relatively impermeable
    B) potassium -- relatively impermeable
    C) sodium -- relatively permeable
    D) potassium -- relatively permeable

Question # 21 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac resting membrane potential is mainly determined by:

    A) sodium concentration
    B) extracellular potassium concentration
    C) inward potassium rectifier channel state
    D) chloride conductance

Question # 22 (Multiple Choice) Phase for depolarization (spontaneous depolarization) may occur because of:

    A) gradual increase in membrane permeability to sodium or calcium
    B) decrease in repolarizing potassium currents (decreasing membrane potassium permeability)
    C) both
    D) neither

Question # 23 (Multiple Answer) Arrhythmias may be caused or characterized by:

    A) abnormal rate
    B) abnormal regularity
    C) abnormal impulse origination
    D) abnormal conduction

Correct Answers

1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23






































Question # 1 (Multiple Answer) Consequences of reduced sodium activation because of reduced membrane potential (less negative):

(A) decreased upstroke velocity

(B) reduced excitability

(C) decreased conduction velocity

BACK







































Question # 2 (Multiple Choice) In the cardiac Purkinje fiber action potential: the major current-carrying ion for phase 0 is:

Answer: (B) sodium

BACK







































Question # 3 (Multiple Choice) A polymorphic ventricular arrhythmia, especially associated with prolonged QT intervals; possibly induced by early afterdepolarizations

Answer: (B) Torsades de Pointes

BACK







































Question # 4 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac membrane ionic gate state(s) is/are controlled by:

(A) ionic conditions

(B) metabolic conditions

(C) transmembrane potential (voltage)

BACK







































Question # 5 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac cells tie in which the resting membrane potential drifts towards threshold:

(C) SA nodal cells

(D) ischemic ventricular muscle cells

BACK







































Question # 6 (Multiple Answer) Factors that increase phase 4 depolarization:

(A) mechanical cardiac muscle fiber stretch

(C) beta-adrenergic stimulation

(D) hypokalemia

BACK







































Question # 7 (Multiple Choice) The primary repolarization phase of the Purkinje fiber or ventricular muscle cell action potential:

Answer: (D) Phase 3

BACK







































Question # 8 (Multiple Choice) Triggered automaticity: associated with significant prolongation of the action potential duration:

Answer: (B) early afterdepolarization (EAD)

BACK







































Question # 9 (Multiple Choice) Phase of the Purkinje fiber action potential composed of the combination of inward, depolarizing calcium current balanced by an outward, repolarizing potassium current (delayed rectifier):

Answer: (B) phase 1

BACK







































Question # 10 (Multiple Choice) Factors reducing cardiac membrane resting potential and could reduce conduction velocity:

Answer: (E) A, B & C

BACK







































Question # 11 (Multiple Answer) Effective in treating Wolff-Parkinson-White-based arrhythmias:

(B) beta-adrenergic blockers

(C) digitalis glycosides

(E) calcium channel blockers

BACK







































Question # 12 (True/False) Most common cardiac induction abnormality leading to arrhythmias -- reentry

Answer: True

BACK







































Question # 13 (Multiple Choice) Primary inward, depolarizing current carrying ion in SA nodal and AV nodal tissues:

Answer: (B) calcium

BACK







































Question # 14 (Multiple Choice) Less intense sodium current flow upon depolarization:

Answer: (B) membrane potential = -50 mV

BACK







































Question # 15 (Multiple Answer) Increases slope of phase 4 depolarization:

(B) atropine

(C) isoproterenol

BACK







































Question # 16 (Multiple Answer) Factors which may precipitate or worsen arrhythmias:

(A) ischemia

(B) acidosis

(C) alkalosis

(D) cardiac fiber stretch

(E) drug action

BACK







































Question # 17 (Multiple Choice) The cardiac cell membrane potential is closest to the equilibrium potential of this ion:

Answer: (B) potassium

BACK







































Question # 18 (Multiple Answer) Principal mechanism(s) associated with many tachyarrhythmias:

(B) reentry

(C) triggered automaticity

BACK







































Question # 19 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac transmembrane potential: mainly determined by these ionic gradients:

(B) sodium

(C) potassium

(D) calcium

BACK







































Question # 20 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac membrane permeability -- resting state:

(A) sodium-- relatively impermeable

(D) potassium -- relatively permeable

BACK







































Question # 21 (Multiple Answer) Cardiac resting membrane potential is mainly determined by:

(B) extracellular potassium concentration

(C) inward potassium rectifier channel state

BACK







































Question # 22 (Multiple Choice) Phase for depolarization (spontaneous depolarization) may occur because of:

Answer: (C) both

BACK







































Question # 23 (Multiple Answer) Arrhythmias may be caused or characterized by:

(A) abnormal rate

(B) abnormal regularity

(C) abnormal impulse origination

(D) abnormal conduction

BACK