What is Amiodarone classified as?

• A. Anticoagulant
• B. Antiarrhythmic
• C. Beta blocker
• D. Diuretic

Answer: (B)

The main concept being tested is how amiodarone is categorized pharmacologically. Amiodarone is classified as an antiarrhythmic medication because its primary use is to treat and prevent abnormal heart rhythms. It achieves this by prolonging the cardiac action potential and the refractory period, mainly through blocking potassium channels in cardiac tissue, which helps terminate and prevent the re-entry circuits that drive tachyarrhythmias. It also has additional effects on sodium channels, beta receptors, and calcium channels, giving it broad antiarrhythmic activity, but clinically it’s still considered an antiarrhythmic. It is not an anticoagulant (which prevents clots), a beta blocker (which reduces heart rate via beta-adrenergic blockade), or a diuretic (which increases urine output).