MEDizzy - A 57-year-old woman was discharged from the hospital after

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Antiadrenergic drugs

A 57-year-old woman was discharged from the hospital after an acute myocardial infarction. The woman had been suffering from mild seasonal asthma for 15 years. Her post-discharge therapy included atenolol, one tablet daily. Which of the following was the most likely rationale behind prescribing atenolol to this patient?

ExplanationB Beta-blockers are usually contraindicated in asthmatics because of their broncho constricting activity due to blockade of bronchial β2 receptors. However, they are first-line therapy after a myocardial infarction, as they substantially decrease morbidity and mortality. In deciding whether to attempt to use β-blockers in asthmatic patients with previous MI, weighing the risk versus bene t is imperative. In this case, asthma was mild and intermittent, so one could make a case for cautiously administering a β-blocker. A selective antagonist such as atenolol was a rational choice, as blockade of β2 receptors is negligible at therapeutic doses. However, caution must be used, because at higher doses selectivity may be lost.