Cardiovascular and vasoactive medications are commonly encountered in anesthesia because blood pressure, heart rate, vascular tone, and cardiac function can change rapidly during perioperative care. Anesthesia technicians and technologists benefit from recognizing commonly used vasopressors and cardiovascular medications and understanding their general physiologic effects.
This lesson covers phenylephrine, ephedrine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, vasopressin, atropine, and glycopyrrolate, along with alpha and beta receptors, vascular resistance, chronotropy, inotropy, medication concentration safety, infusion readiness, emergency medication awareness, and the anesthesia technician's authorized role.