Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse (CAPA) Practice Exam

The first-line treatment for arrhythmias in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) is typically antiarrhythmics. These medications are specifically designed to address issues with heart rhythm, making them the most appropriate choice when a patient presents with arrhythmias. Antiarrhythmics can work by different mechanisms to stabilize the cardiac electrical activity, restore normal heart rhythm, and prevent complications associated with abnormal heart rhythms.

Diuretics, while important in managing fluid overload and specific cardiac conditions, do not directly address the issue of arrhythmias. Antibiotics are used to treat infections and have no role in managing heart rhythm disorders. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are primarily used for pain management and inflammation and also have no direct impact on cardiac rhythms. Thus, antiarrhythmics stand out as the unique class of medications that directly target the problem of arrhythmias in the PACU setting.