Digoxin

Name of the
medication: Dosage, Frequency Adverse
Action: Indication: Contraindication: Nursing interventions:
Generic Name and Route: reactions:
(Brand name)

Digoxin Adults: Inhibits CNS: fatigue, Heart failure,  Contraindicated in  Drug-induced arrhythmias
Digitek, Loading dose: sodium- generalized paroxysmal patients may increase the severity of
Digoxin, 0.75–1.25 mg PO or potassium- muscle supraventricular hypersensitive to heart failure and
Lanoxicaps, 0.125–0.25 mg IV. activated weakness, tachycardia, drug and in those hypotension.
Lanoxin* Maintenance dose: adenosine agitation, atrial fibrillation with digitalis-  Before giving loading dose,
0.125–0.25 mg/day triphosphatase, hallucinations, and flutter induced toxicity, obtain baseline data (heart
Classification: PO. promoting CV: ventricular rate and rhythm, blood
Inotropic Lanoxicaps capsules movement of arrhythmias, fibrillation, or pressure, and electrolytes)
Antiarrhythmic Loading dose: calcium from heart block. ventricular and ask patient about use of
Cardiac 0.4–0.6 mg PO. extracellular to EENT: yellow- tachycardia unless cardiac glycosides within the
glycoside Maintenance dose, intracellular green halos caused by heart previous 2 to 3 weeks.
0.1 –0.3 mg/day PO. cytoplasm and around visual failure.  Loading dose is usually
strengthening images,  Patients with Wolff- divided over the first 24
myocardial blurred vision, Parkinson-White hours with approximately
contraction. light flashes, syndrome unless half the loading dose given in
Also acts on photophobia, the conduction the first dose.
CNS to diplopia. accessory pathway  Before giving drug, take
enhance vagal GI: anorexia, has been apical-radial pulse for 1
tone, slowing nausea pharmacologically minute. Record and notify
conduction or surgically prescriber of significant
through the SA disabled. changes (sudden increase or
and AV nodes.  Elderly patients and decrease in pulse rate, pulse
in those with acute deficit, irregular beats and,
MI, incomplete AV particularly, regularization of
block, sinus a previously irregular
bradycardia, PVCs, rhythm). If these occur, check
chronic constrictive blood pressure and obtain a
pericarditis, 12-lead ECG.
hypertrophic  Monitor digoxin level.
cardiomyopathy, Therapeutic level ranges
renal insufficiency, from 0.8 to 2 ng/ml. Obtain
severe pulmonary blood for digoxin level at
disease, or least 6 to 8 hours after last
hypothyroidism. oral dose, preferably just
before next scheduled dose.
 Alert: Excessively slow pulse
rate (60 beats/minute or less)
may be a sign of digitalis
toxicity. Withhold drug and
notify prescriber.
 Monitor potassium level
carefully. Take corrective
action before hypokalemia
occurs. Hyperkalemia may
result from digoxin toxicity.
 Look alike-sound alike: Don't
confuse digoxin with
doxepin.