NCLEX Pharmacology Cardiovascular Drugs Practice Test

The beta blocker should not be abruptly stopped; the dose should be tapered down.

Abruptly stop. Should NOT abruptly stopped; dose tapered. The beta blocker dose should be maintained while taking another antianginal drug. Half the beta blocker dose should be taken for the next several weeks.

Correct Answer:

Should NOT abruptly stopped; dose tapered.

Explanation:

Stopping a beta blocker abruptly can trigger rebound sympathetic stimulation, leading to rapid increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and ischemia or arrhythmias, especially in patients with coronary artery disease or heart failure. Tapering the dose gradually allows the body to adjust to less beta-adrenergic blockade, reducing the risk of chest pain, tachycardia, or other withdrawal effects. A clinician typically reduces the dose step by step over days to weeks and then stops when the patient remains stable. While starting another antianginal agent may be appropriate in some cases, it does not remove the risk associated with abrupt withdrawal of a beta blocker, and fixed halving for several weeks is not a standard, universally safe taper.

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