Which medication should be expected for a symptomatic patient with a slow ventricular rate due to idioventricular rhythm?

For a symptomatic patient experiencing a slow ventricular rate resulting from an idioventricular rhythm, atropine is the expected medication due to its mechanism of action. Atropine is an anticholinergic agent that effectively increases the heart rate by blocking the effects of the vagus nerve on the heart. In the context of bradycardia, particularly if the patient exhibits symptoms (such as hypotension, shortness of breath, or altered mental status), atropine can be administered to alleviate these symptoms by accelerating heart rate and enhancing cardiac output.

Idioventricular rhythms typically arise when there is a failure of higher pacemakers in the heart, leading to reliance on the ventricular pacemaker, which produces a slower intrinsic heart rate. Since symptomatic bradycardia often warrants intervention to restore adequate hemodynamic stability, the administration of atropine provides a rapid response to manage the situation.

Other medications listed would not be appropriate in this scenario. Adrenaline is usually reserved for more severe situations, such as cardiac arrest. Atenolol, being a beta-blocker, would decrease heart rate and is contraindicated in bradycardic events. Amiodarone is primarily utilized for managing arrhythmias but does not directly address symptomatic bradycard