If Amiodarone is unavailable for stable ventricular tachycardia, what is the listed alternative?

If Amiodarone is unavailable for stable ventricular tachycardia, what is the listed alternative?

• A. Lidocaine 100 mg IV Push
• B. Amiodarone
• C. Magnesium sulfate
• D. Adenosine

Answer: (A)

When treating stable ventricular tachycardia, the go-to antiarrhythmic is amiodarone because it works well across a wide range of VT scenarios. If amiodarone isn’t available, lidocaine given as an IV push is the listed alternative. Lidocaine is a class IB antiarrhythmic that acts on the ventricular myocardium to suppress ectopic activity and help terminate VT in many acute settings, especially when ischemia is present or amiodarone can’t be used. Magnesium sulfate is mainly reserved for torsades de pointes or low magnesium states, not typical stable VT. Adenosine is useful for certain supraventricular tachycardias, not ventricular tachycardia, so it isn’t appropriate here.

When treating stable ventricular tachycardia, the go-to antiarrhythmic is amiodarone because it works well across a wide range of VT scenarios. If amiodarone isn’t available, lidocaine given as an IV push is the listed alternative. Lidocaine is a class IB antiarrhythmic that acts on the ventricular myocardium to suppress ectopic activity and help terminate VT in many acute settings, especially when ischemia is present or amiodarone can’t be used.

Magnesium sulfate is mainly reserved for torsades de pointes or low magnesium states, not typical stable VT. Adenosine is useful for certain supraventricular tachycardias, not ventricular tachycardia, so it isn’t appropriate here.