BETA BLOCKERS

By: Janine Grace P. Acaso

BETA BLOCKERS
- also known as beta-adrenergic blocking
agents, are medications that reduce blood
pressure.

1.Inderal LA (propranolol)
2.Lopressor (metoprolol)
3. Tenormin (atenolol)
4.trandate (labetalol)
5. Sectral (acebutolol )
Mechanism of action:

Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone

epinephrine, also known as adrenaline.
Beta blockers cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less
force, which lowers blood pressure.
Pharmacokinetics:

Beta blockers are well absorbed orally. Absorption of

sustained-release capsules is slow. The half-life of
propranolol is 2 to 6 hours, atenolol has a half-life of 6 to 7
hours and metoprolol has a half-life of 3 to 7 hours.
Propranolol and metoprolol are metabolized by the liver. Half
of oral dose of atenolol is absorbed from the GI tract, with the
remainder excreted unchanged in feces.
Nursing intervention:
• get a blood pressure and heart rate prior to giving the
dose.
•monitor your patient for bradycardia and hypotension,
including orthostatic hypotension.
•monitor your patient for the more common side effects
such as fatigue, pulmonary edema, and congestive heart
failure.
•monitoring daily weights and intake/output.
•assess lung sounds, edema, O2 saturation and work-of-
breathing.
Adverse reaction:

Bradycardia, tachycardia, hypotension, chest pain, heart

failure, dyspnea, bronchospasm, dizziness, dysrhytmia