Which medication is recommended for treating bradycardia?

Atropine is the recommended medication for treating bradycardia primarily because it acts as an anticholinergic agent that blocks the action of the vagus nerve on the heart. This inhibition leads to an increase in heart rate by reducing parasympathetic (vagal) tone. In cases of symptomatic bradycardia, where the heart rate is abnormally low and causes clinical manifestations, atropine is often the first-line treatment. Its rapid onset of action makes it effective in emergency situations where immediate intervention is required to restore adequate heart rhythm and improve blood flow.

Other options, like adrenaline, while potentially useful in certain cardiac emergencies, are not specifically first-line choices for treating bradycardia. Ibuprofen and aspirin are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and platelet aggregation inhibitors, respectively, that do not have any direct effect on heart rate and are therefore not suitable for addressing bradycardia directly.