Which cardiovascular effect is associated with meperidine?

Prepare for the Anesthesia Pharm Exam 1 with our interactive quizzes. Study with detailed explanations and multiple-choice questions to ensure success on your examination day!

Multiple Choice

Which cardiovascular effect is associated with meperidine?

Explanation:
Meperidine tends to increase heart rate because it has mild antimuscarinic activity that reduces parasympathetic (vagal) influence on the heart. It also releases less histamine than morphine, so it doesn’t cause the vasodilation and reflex changes that can lead to other heart-rate effects with some opioids. The net result is tachycardia, which is the most typical cardiovascular effect associated with meperidine. Bradycardia and arrhythmias are not the usual patterns here.

Meperidine tends to increase heart rate because it has mild antimuscarinic activity that reduces parasympathetic (vagal) influence on the heart. It also releases less histamine than morphine, so it doesn’t cause the vasodilation and reflex changes that can lead to other heart-rate effects with some opioids. The net result is tachycardia, which is the most typical cardiovascular effect associated with meperidine. Bradycardia and arrhythmias are not the usual patterns here.

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