Digitalis is obtained from the leaves of Digitalis purpurea. It has positive inotropic effects on the heart by enhancing myocardial activity and contractility. This increases cardiac output and shifts the stroke volume-preload curve towards normal in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), improving cardiac function and relieving symptoms. Digitalis is used to treat CHF and cardiac arrhythmias, but it has contraindications like tachycardia, hypokalemia, and myocardial infarction.

1. CHF-pharmacology of digitalis
Submitted to-:Ms Seema Thakur
Submitted by-:Navneet Singh
Bpharm 6th sem
1438002

2. INDEX
 Digitalis
 Pharmacology
 CHF
 Uses
 Contraindication
 Reference
 Thank you

3. DIGITALIS
 It is obtained from the leaves of Digitalis
purpurea from family Scrophulariaceae

4. PHARMACOLOGY
Action on heart-:
 Effect on the conducting tissues
 Coronary flow
 Positive Ionotropic action
 Enhances myocardial activity

5. Extra cardiac effect of digitalis-
:
 GIT-:there may be nausea and vomiting
due to trigger of CTZ zone
 Kidney-: increase in renal blood flow due
to improved circulation and decreae in
sympathetic activity
 CNS-: visual disturbances and disturbance
of coloured vision may occur

6. CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
CHF occur when cardiac output is sufficient to meet
the demands of tissue perfusion. Heart failure may
be primarily due to systolic or diastolic dysfunction.
 Systolic dysfunction: dilated ventricles and
unable to develop sufficient wall tension –
myocarditis, ischemic heart disease etc
 Diastolic dysfunction: Thickened wall, filling is
impaired and low output – prolonged hypertension,
hypertrophic myopathy etc
 Long standing CHF patients have both the types of
dysfunctions

7. CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
 Digitalis induced enhancement of contractility
increases the ventricular ejection and shift the
curve relating stroke output to filling pressure
towards normal so adequate output is obtained that
does not produce CHF.
StrokeVolume
Preload (filling
pressure)
Normal
Digitalis
CHF

8. THERAPEUTIC USES
 Congestive heart failure
 Cardiac arrhythmia

9. CONTRAINDICATION
 Tachycardia
 Hypokalemia
 Myocardial infarction
 Foetal toxicity

10. REFERENCE
 KD tripathi “Essentials of Medical
Pharmacology “ seventh edition pg no 512-
519