VTNE Anesthesia Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which anesthetic agent is most appropriate for a patient with suspected increased intracranial pressure?
- Ketamine
- Propofol (Correct answer)
- Tiletamine-zolazepam
- Acepromazine
Correct answer: Propofol
Propofol decreases intracranial pressure and cerebral metabolic rate, making it preferable in patients with head trauma or intracranial disease.
Question 2: A cat anesthetized with isoflurane develops a heart rate of 240 bpm. Which drug is most appropriate to treat this tachycardia?
- Atropine
- Dexmedetomidine (Correct answer)
- Epinephrine
- Dopamine
Correct answer: Dexmedetomidine
Dexmedetomidine causes bradycardia via alpha-2 agonism and can be used to slow an anesthetic-induced tachycardia in cats.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of using a Bain circuit during small animal anesthesia?
- To increase rebreathing of CO2
- To allow non-rebreathing with high fresh gas flows (Correct answer)
- To eliminate the need for a CO2 absorber in large animals
- To reduce oxygen consumption
Correct answer: To allow non-rebreathing with high fresh gas flows
The Bain circuit is a modified Mapleson D non-rebreathing system that uses high fresh gas flows to prevent CO2 rebreathing.
Question 4: During mask induction in a dog, the patient suddenly becomes apneic. What is the FIRST action the veterinary technician should take?
- Administer doxapram IV
- Intubate and provide IPPV (Correct answer)
- Remove the mask and allow recovery
- Increase isoflurane concentration
Correct answer: Intubate and provide IPPV
When apnea occurs during induction, the airway should be secured immediately with intubation and intermittent positive pressure ventilation initiated.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes balanced anesthesia?
- Using a single high-dose anesthetic agent
- Combining multiple drugs at lower doses to achieve anesthesia with fewer side effects (Correct answer)
- Maintaining equal inspiratory and expiratory times
- Balancing oxygen and nitrous oxide at a 1:1 ratio
Correct answer: Combining multiple drugs at lower doses to achieve anesthesia with fewer side effects
Balanced anesthesia uses combinations of drugs (analgesics, sedatives, inhalants) at lower doses to minimize adverse effects while maintaining adequate anesthetic depth.
Question 6: A ferret undergoing anesthesia begins to show signs of hypoglycemia. Which condition is most commonly responsible for this complication in ferrets?
- Adrenal gland disease
- Insulinoma (Correct answer)
- Renal failure
- Hepatic lipidosis
Correct answer: Insulinoma
Insulinomas are extremely common in ferrets and cause excessive insulin secretion, leading to hypoglycemia especially under the fasting stress of anesthesia.
Question 7: Which monitoring parameter is MOST useful for detecting malignant hyperthermia early during anesthesia?
- Blood pressure
- End-tidal CO2 (Correct answer)
- SpO2
- Heart rate
Correct answer: End-tidal CO2
End-tidal CO2 rises rapidly in malignant hyperthermia due to increased cellular metabolism, making capnography the most sensitive early indicator.
VTNE Anesthesia Management 2
Which anesthetic agent is most appropriate for a patient with suspected increased intracranial pressure?