The cardiovascular effects of adenosine: clinical use and nursing implications.

Adenosine, an endogenous nucleoside, is involved in numerous biologic processes. An important regulator of cardiac rhythm and coronary blood flow, adenosine is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of PSVT. In addition, adenosine may soon be available for cardiac imaging and eventually as a protective agent against acute myocardial infarction and reperfusion injury. This article reviews the cardiovascular effects of adenosine, its diagnostic and therapeutic utility, and the implications for nursing care.