Fingerglass preparations: indications and effects in cardiac diseases

Digitalis is a genus of flowering plants, which are used as a medicament for disorders of cardiac activity.

The cardiotropic properties of this flower have been known for a long time. In the first half of the 18th century, it was grown in pharmacy gardens in Russia, and since 1775, when the works of the British physician Withering were published, the preparations of digitalis have firmly taken their place in the practice of the therapy of heart diseases.

Botanical characteristics of digitalis

Rod Digitalis (Digitalis) - perennial beautiful flowering plants of the Plantain family with large inflorescences of thimbus-like flowers and fragile wrinkled leaves. Blossom in the middle of summer (end of June-July), fruits - bivalves egg-shaped with small brown seeds. In total, 36 types of digitalis are described, of which only 5 are used for medical purposes: foxglove (main source of raw materials), purple, ciliated, large-flowered and rusty.

Initially, the drug foxglove was a hood from the leaves of the first and second year. At present, pharmaceutical preparations of digitalis glycosides are obtained from the above-ground parts of the plant, oblique before flowering.

All foxgloves are poisonous, which indicates a large number of biologically active substances and requires careful handling.

Chemical components and use of digitalis

Medicinal preparations of digitalis include its main active substances - cardiac glycosides: digitoxin, hytoxin, digoxin, acetyl digoxin and many others, as well as organic acids, saponins, flavonoids.

Most of the active components have a secondary hydrolysis origin, that is, they are obtained by enzymatic cleavage of molecules of natural glycosides.

Drugs digitalis are used in the treatment of many cardiological diseases, mainly associated with cardiac and vascular disorders:

1. Heart failure and various organic lesions of cardiac structures (including as a preventive measure).
2. Defects of the heart valves, leading to decompensation.
3. Atrial fibrillation.
4. Inflammation and degeneration of the heart muscle.
5. Paroxysmal tachycardia in pregnant women.
6. Preparation for cardiological operations.

In case of violations of the work of the conduction system of the heart (blockades) and bradycardia, the fistulas of digitalis are not prescribed.

How the preparation of digitalis glycoside works

Isolated from the herb digitalis glycosides specifically affect the cardiac muscle. With heart failure, the effect of using digitalis will be as follows:

• Reduction of heart rate;
• An increase in the strength of myocardial contraction;
• Lengthening the period of relaxation of the heart (diastole).

Drugs digitalis successfully used in the treatment of circulatory failure, when the heart can not cope with the movement of blood through the vessels, which is complicated by swelling and trophic disorders. In this case, glycoside preparations are expected to:

• Increased cardiac output (volume of blood leaving the ventricles in one contraction);
• More effective emptying of the ventricles during systole;
• A decrease in the volume of blood circulating in the vessels and, as a consequence, a decrease in edema;
• Normalization of heart rate with tachycardia;
• Acceleration of blood flow in the vascular bed;
• Increased vascular tone, which is accompanied by a slight rise in blood pressure.

The toxicity of digitalis can provoke unwanted side effects: abnormalities of the digestive tract, nervous system, changes in the heart rate. Unauthorized use of these drugs is unacceptable, the treatment scheme is chosen only by a doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

Medicinal preparations from digitalis woolly

"Celanide" is a cardiac glycoside of fast action, it is available in the form of tablets and a solution for intravenous injections. The main indications are circulatory insufficiency, tachycardia, atrial fibrillation.

"Digoxin" is characterized by an increase in the contractility of the myocardium, does not disturb the coronary circulation and reduces swelling due to diuretic action. It is administered intravenously and orally. It is prescribed for severe circulatory disorders and during an attack of paroxysmal tachycardia as an emergency aid.

The therapeutic effect reaches a maximum after some time, when the active substances are reached in the body of a certain concentration. There is a cumulative effect (accumulative) due to the fact that the preparations of digitalis are withdrawn rather slowly.