Which intravenous adrenergic blocker is most suitable for treating hypertension and tachycardia in a patient with reactive airway disease?

Which intravenous adrenergic blocker is most suitable for treating hypertension and tachycardia in a patient with reactive airway disease?

• A. Propranolol
• B. Nadolol
• C. Atenolol
• D. Pindolol

Answer: (C)

In reactive airway disease, you want to lower blood pressure and heart rate without provoking bronchospasm. That means using a beta blocker that mainly blocks beta-1 receptors (the heart) and spares beta-2 receptors in the lungs. Among the options, a cardioselective beta-1 blocker fits this need best. It reduces tachycardia and hypertension with a lower risk of triggering bronchoconstriction. Atenolol is a cardioselective beta-1 blocker, so it mainly affects the heart. This makes it safer for a patient with airway reactivity compared with nonselective beta blockers that block both beta-1 and beta-2 receptors and can cause bronchospasm. It’s also available for intravenous use in acute care, which aligns with the requirement for IV administration. The other choices are nonselective beta blockers (propranolol and nadolol) or, like pindolol, nonselective with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, which can blunt the desired heart-rate reduction and still risk airway reactivity. So the best choice to achieve hypertension control and tachycardia relief without aggravating reactive airway disease is a cardioselective beta-1 blocker given intravenously, namely atenolol.

In reactive airway disease, you want to lower blood pressure and heart rate without provoking bronchospasm. That means using a beta blocker that mainly blocks beta-1 receptors (the heart) and spares beta-2 receptors in the lungs. Among the options, a cardioselective beta-1 blocker fits this need best. It reduces tachycardia and hypertension with a lower risk of triggering bronchoconstriction.

Atenolol is a cardioselective beta-1 blocker, so it mainly affects the heart. This makes it safer for a patient with airway reactivity compared with nonselective beta blockers that block both beta-1 and beta-2 receptors and can cause bronchospasm. It’s also available for intravenous use in acute care, which aligns with the requirement for IV administration. The other choices are nonselective beta blockers (propranolol and nadolol) or, like pindolol, nonselective with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, which can blunt the desired heart-rate reduction and still risk airway reactivity.

So the best choice to achieve hypertension control and tachycardia relief without aggravating reactive airway disease is a cardioselective beta-1 blocker given intravenously, namely atenolol.