Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) Critical Care Practice Exam 2025 – The All-In-One Guide to Mastering Your Critical Care Certification!

Lidocaine is an antiarrhythmic drug commonly used to manage ventricular arrhythmias, particularly in acute settings like cardiac arrest or during surgery. It primarily acts by blocking sodium channels, which helps to stabilize cardiac membranes and reduce the incidence of arrhythmias.

In patients with preserved left ventricular function, the use of lidocaine should be approached with caution due to its potential side effects, such as central nervous system toxicity that can manifest as confusion, seizures, or even respiratory depression. Additionally, while the patient may have preserved left ventricular function, other underlying issues could contribute to the arrhythmia, necessitating careful monitoring and evaluation of the drug's effects on cardiac performance.

Other options listed, such as dopamine and dobutamine, are positive inotropic agents that support cardiac function rather than primarily acting on arrhythmias. Epinephrine, while an important drug in cardiac resuscitation, is generally not classified as an antiarrhythmic in the same way lidocaine is. Instead, it is used to increase heart rate and contractility, as well as to enhance perfusion during resuscitation efforts. Therefore, the specific properties and risks associated with lidocaine make it particularly important to use with caution in this context.