Answer: The ECG strip is showing bradycardia. Atropine is an anticholinergic drug that increases sinoatrial node firing by counteracting vagus nerve action to increase the heart rate. It is the first-line therapy for symptomatic bradycardia. A 0.5-mg bolus is given intravenously every 3 to 5 minutes up to a maximum dose of 3 mg.
A patient with dyspnea and a change in mental status arrives at the emergency department. The healthcare team completes the necessary assessments and begins to care for the patient including initiating cardia…