Pharmacology Fundamentals Flashcards
7 cards from real ABA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pharmacology Fundamentals flashcards as text
Midazolam produces amnesia primarily through its action on which receptor?
Answer: Alpha-1 GABA-A receptor subunits
Benzodiazepines like midazolam potentiate GABA-A receptors containing the alpha-1 subunit in the hippocampus, producing anterograde amnesia.
Which statement correctly describes the pharmacodynamic interaction between volatile anesthetics and opioids?
Answer: They are additive to synergistic: opioids significantly reduce MAC
Opioids produce a synergistic interaction with volatile anesthetics, substantially reducing MAC by approximately 50% at clinically used doses.
In the context of neuromuscular monitoring, a train-of-four (TOF) ratio of 0.9 or greater indicates:
Answer: Adequate recovery of neuromuscular function sufficient for extubation
A TOF ratio ≥0.9 indicates near-complete recovery of neuromuscular function and is the accepted threshold for safe extubation.
Which mechanism explains why bupivacaine carries a greater risk of cardiac toxicity compared to lidocaine at equipotent doses?
Answer: Bupivacaine dissociates more slowly from cardiac sodium channels ('fast-in, slow-out')
Bupivacaine binds cardiac sodium channels with high affinity and dissociates very slowly during diastole, preventing recovery and causing life-threatening arrhythmias.
A patient receiving a prolonged propofol infusion at high doses develops metabolic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, and cardiac failure. This is consistent with:
Answer: Propofol infusion syndrome
Propofol infusion syndrome is a rare but life-threatening complication of high-dose, prolonged propofol infusion characterized by metabolic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, and cardiac dysfunction.
Which pharmacokinetic model best describes the distribution of IV anesthetic drugs after a bolus injection?
Answer: Two- or three-compartment model with distribution and elimination phases
Most IV anesthetics follow two- or three-compartment pharmacokinetics, with rapid distribution to vessel-rich tissues followed by slower redistribution and elimination.
Flumazenil reverses benzodiazepine sedation by acting as:
Answer: A competitive antagonist at the benzodiazepine binding site on GABA-A receptors
Flumazenil competitively antagonizes the benzodiazepine binding site on GABA-A receptors without intrinsic activity, displacing benzodiazepines and reversing their effects.