A patient with a supraventricular tachycardia has an atrial rate of 280/min with a ventricular rate of 140/min via a 2:1 AV nodal transmission

A patient with a supraventricular tachycardia has an atrial rate of 280/min with a ventricular rate of 140/min via a 2:1 AV nodal transmission. After treatment with a drug, the atrial rate slowed to 180/min, but the ventricular
rate increased to 180/min! Which of the following drugs was most likely to have been given to this patient?

A. Adenosine
B. Digoxin
C. Esmolol
D. Quinidine
E. Verapamil

Answer: D. An increase in AV conduction is characteristic of quinidine, which exerts quite marked blocking actions on muscarinic receptors in the heart. Thus, an atrial rate, formerly transmitted to the ventricles in a 2:1 ratio, may be transmitted in a 1:1 ratio after quinidine. This effect of quinidine can be offset by the prior administration of an antiarrhythmic drug that decreases AV nodal conduction, such as digoxin or verapamil. All of the drugs listed (except quinidine) slow AV nodal conduction, but adenosine and esmolol (a beta blocker) are very short-acting agents used IV only.