Anticholinergic
Atropine
Anticholinergic — green 0.4 mg/mL0.1 mg/mL (syringe)
Fast anticholinergic for symptomatic bradycardia.
Typical adult doses
| Indication | Dose | Onset | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradycardia | 0.5–1 mg IV every 3–5 min, max 3 mg (ACLS: 1 mg) | ≈1 min | — |
Mechanism
Muscarinic antagonist.
Key effects
- ↑ HR, ↓ secretions
Watch out for
- Crosses the BBB — central anticholinergic syndrome (esp. elderly)
- Tachycardia
Pimp questions
Pimp question
Atropine vs glycopyrrolate — which crosses the BBB?
Answer
Atropine (tertiary amine). Glycopyrrolate is quaternary and does not.