atropine - An anticholinergic drug derived from belladonna. Atropine is used to dilate the pupil in eye conditions such as iritis (inflammation of the iris) and corneal ulcer. It is also used in children before eye examination.
Atropine may be included in a premedication before general anaesthesia to reduce respiratory secretions and is also used as an emergency treatment for bradycardia (abnormally slow heartbeat). It is sometimes combined with an antidiarrhoeal drug to relieve abdominal cramps accompanying diarrhoea.
Adverse effects include dry mouth, blurred vision, retention of urine, and, in the elderly, confusion. Atropine eyedrops are rarely given to adults because they cause disturbance of vision lasting 2–3 weeks and may precipitate acute glaucoma in susceptible people.
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