A patient asked the nurse what cardiac glycosides do to improve his condition.What is the nurse's best response?

Choice A rationaleCardiac glycosides are not known for increasing heart rate. Instead, they tend to decrease heart rate by enhancing vagal tone and increasing the refractory period of the atrioventricular node, which helps in controlling heart rate, especially in atrial fibrillation.Choice B rationaleCardiac glycosides actually increase the force of myocardial contractions. They inhibit the sodium-potassium ATPase pump, which leads to an increase in intracellular sodium and calcium levels in the myocardial cells, thus increasing the force of contraction.Choice C rationaleCardiac glycosides do not significantly decrease conduction velocity. They primarily affect the contractility and heart rate but their influence on conduction velocity is relatively mild.Choice D rationaleCardiac glycosides improve renal blood flow and increase urine output by increasing the cardiac output and reducing the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. This helps in relieving symptoms of heart failure.