Which Medication Reverses Digitalis Toxicity? Digoxin Therapy Quiz
Quick, free quiz on digoxin therapy with instant results; review signs of dig toxicity.
This quiz helps you check your knowledge of digoxin therapy and recognize digitalis toxicity, including when an antidote is indicated. Answer quick questions on dosing, interactions, and safety, then see what you got right. For more practice, try the dysrhythmia quiz, the negative chronotropic effect quiz, or a heart failure quiz.
Study Outcomes
- Identify the Antidote -
Recognize digoxin immune Fab as the primary medication that reverses digitalis toxicity and understand its clinical application.
- Recognize Toxicity Symptoms -
List the common digitalis toxicity symptoms, including gastrointestinal, cardiac, and neurological signs, to support timely diagnosis.
- Explain Mechanisms of Action -
Describe how digoxin immune Fab binds free digoxin molecules and facilitates safe elimination to neutralize toxicity.
- Differentiate Treatment Strategies -
Compare the role of specific antidote medication versus supportive measures in the comprehensive management of digitalis toxicity.
- Apply Clinical Reasoning -
Use quiz scenarios to select appropriate interventions for digoxin toxicity and reinforce decision-making skills in digoxin therapy treatment.
- Reinforce Digoxin Safety -
Recall best practices for monitoring serum levels and adjusting dosage to prevent digitalis toxicity and optimize patient outcomes.
Cheat Sheet
- Mechanism of Digitalis Toxicity -
Digoxin inhibits the Na+/K+ ATPase pump in cardiac myocytes, increasing intracellular calcium and enhancing contractility, but excess levels lead to arrhythmias and digitalis toxicity symptoms like nausea and blurred vision. Use the mnemonic "D-I-G" for Digoxin: D for Digestion upset, I for Inverted vision, and G for GI disturbances. Grasping this mechanism forms the basis for all digoxin toxicity treatment strategies.
- Clinical Presentation and Lab Monitoring -
Early signs of toxicity include bradycardia, heart blocks, hyperkalemia and yellow halos around lights; these digitalis toxicity symptoms can escalate rapidly. Monitor serum digoxin levels (therapeutic range: 0.5 - 2.0 ng/mL) and electrolytes frequently, with levels drawn 6 - 8 hours post-dose for best accuracy. University guidelines stress vigilant lab checks to guide digoxin therapy adjustments.
- Primary Antidote: Digoxin Immune Fab -
Digoxin immune Fab (Digibind, DigiFab) is the medication that reverses digitalis toxicity and is the gold standard digitalis antidote medication; it binds free digoxin molecules into complexes excreted renally. Calculate required vials using the formula: (serum digoxin concentration [ng/mL] × patient weight [kg]) / 100. Immediate administration of this antidote is key in severe digoxin toxicity treatment.
- Supportive Measures and Electrolyte Correction -
In tandem with digoxin immune Fab, correct hyperkalemia with insulin and dextrose or sodium bicarbonate, and treat hypomagnesemia with IV magnesium sulfate; avoid calcium chloride to prevent paradoxical cardiac toxicity. These steps are critical components of comprehensive digoxin toxicity treatment and can stabilize patients until the antidote takes effect. Familiarize yourself with advanced cardiac life support guidelines for best outcomes.
- Preventing Recurrence and Patient Education -
Educate patients on factors increasing toxicity risk, such as renal impairment, drug interactions (e.g., verapamil, amiodarone), and fluctuating electrolytes; stress adherence to prescribed digoxin doses and regular lab monitoring. Use the mnemonic "KEEP SAFE" (Kidney function, Electrolytes, Evaluate interactions, Patient adherence) to reinforce key points. Effective education reduces readmissions and ensures safer digoxin therapy.