VASODILATORS IN THE OR: WHEN THE PRESSURE NEEDS TO DROP NOW │ EP113

Welcome to the Atomic Anesthesia podcast hosted by CRNA professor Dr. Rhea Temmermand and Co-Founder Sachi Lord. On this show, you'll hear clear, clinically grounded discussions designed for nurse anesthesia residents and CRNAs who want to feel more confident in complex pharmacology, physiology, and real-world anesthesia decision-making.

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In this episode:

• The three mechanism buckets every OR vasodilator falls into — nitric oxide donors, calcium channel blockers, alpha antagonists — and why the bucket tells you the side effect profile before you ever look up the drug
• The full NO → cGMP → PKG → smooth muscle relaxation cascade behind nitroglycerin and nitroprusside, and why one drops preload while the other balanced-dilates
• Cyanide toxicity and coronary steal with nitroprusside — when to use it, when to cap it, and when to pick something else
• Clevidipine vs nicardipine vs hydralazine — which drug fits which case, and why hydralazine is falling out of favor for tight OR control
• Controlled hypotension for neuro cases, afterload management in cardiac surgery, and hypertensive emergencies including aortic dissection and pheochromocytoma

💜 FREE DOWNLOADS: Grab your copy of customized study plans & worksheets.

• GPCR Cheat Sheet — The G-protein coupled receptor mechanisms behind the alpha antagonists, beta blockers, and signaling pathways that show up in every OR vasodilator conversation.
• SEE/NCE Study Plan — A structured plan to help you prepare for the SEE and NCE without burning out — hypertension treatment is a high-yield topic.
• Non-Opioid Pharmacology Cheat Sheet — Propofol, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, and the rest of the non-opioid sedation toolkit on one page.

💜 CONNECT: 📥 Email questions, comments or topic suggestions to Dr. Temmermand at hello@atomicanesthesia.com, follow us on social media, and sign up for our newsletter.

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