When should you withhold a beta blocker?

When should you withhold a beta blocker?

• A. If heart rate is above 100 bpm
• B. If heart rate below 60 bpm
• C. If blood pressure is elevated
• D. If patient has chest pain

Answer: (B)

Beta blockers slow the heart rate and decrease myocardial workload. If the pulse is already below normal, continuing the medication can push the heart into dangerous bradycardia and reduce cardiac output, leading to dizziness, fainting, or worse. That’s why withholding is appropriate when the heart rate is under 60 beats per minute. A high heart rate, high blood pressure, or chest pain aren’t automatic reasons to stop the drug—beta blockers can still be used or adjusted in those contexts, as they can help with angina and hypertension. The critical safety cue here is bradycardia.

Beta blockers slow the heart rate and decrease myocardial workload. If the pulse is already below normal, continuing the medication can push the heart into dangerous bradycardia and reduce cardiac output, leading to dizziness, fainting, or worse. That’s why withholding is appropriate when the heart rate is under 60 beats per minute.

A high heart rate, high blood pressure, or chest pain aren’t automatic reasons to stop the drug—beta blockers can still be used or adjusted in those contexts, as they can help with angina and hypertension. The critical safety cue here is bradycardia.