Cardiac Medicine Certification (CMC) Practice Exam

What is a common treatment for symptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome?

1. Aspirin or anticoagulants

2. Adenocard or procainamide

3. Amiodarone or digoxin

4. B-blockers or calcium channel blockers

The correct answer is: Adenocard or procainamide

Symptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome is characterized by episodes of tachycardia due to an accessory pathway that bypasses the normal conduction system of the heart. When managing this condition, the primary aim is to control the arrhythmia and restore normal heart rhythm. Adenocard, also known as adenosine, is frequently used for acute termination of supraventricular tachycardia, including that associated with WPW. Adenosine acts on the atrioventricular node, helping to interrupt the reentrant circuit that leads to the fast heartbeat. Procainamide, an antiarrhythmic medication, can also be effective in managing WPW-associated tachycardia, as it helps to restore normal conduction by slowing down the conduction through the accessory pathway. Thus, the combination of Adenocard and procainamide represents a very relevant and effective approach to treating the episodes of tachycardia seen in WPW. Other treatments like aspirin or anticoagulants are more commonly associated with preventing thromboembolic events, which are not typically the primary concern in WPW. Medications such as amiodarone or digoxin have different mechanisms of action and are not first-line treatments for WP