Ocular Pharmacology Flashcards
7 cards from real CPOA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ocular Pharmacology flashcards as text
Which class of medication is commonly used as a cycloplegic agent to paralyze the ciliary muscle during refraction?
Answer: Anticholinergics
Anticholinergic agents such as cyclopentolate and atropine block muscarinic receptors, paralyzing the ciliary muscle to prevent accommodation.
Timolol maleate is classified as which type of glaucoma medication?
Answer: Non-selective beta-blocker
Timolol is a non-selective beta-adrenergic blocker that reduces aqueous humor production by the ciliary body.
A patient is prescribed latanoprost eye drops. Which side effect should you warn them about?
Answer: Iris color change
Prostaglandin analogs like latanoprost can cause increased iris pigmentation (heterochromia) with long-term use.
What is the mechanism by which pilocarpine lowers intraocular pressure?
Answer: Opens trabecular meshwork by contracting ciliary muscle
Pilocarpine is a cholinergic agent that contracts the ciliary muscle, pulling the scleral spur and widening the trabecular meshwork to increase aqueous outflow.
Which topical anesthetic has the FASTEST onset of action?
Answer: Proparacaine
Proparacaine (proxymetacaine) has the fastest onset of action at approximately 20 seconds and is less irritating than tetracaine.
Acetazolamide, an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, lowers IOP by which mechanism?
Answer: Decreasing aqueous humor production
Acetazolamide inhibits carbonic anhydrase in the ciliary body epithelium, reducing bicarbonate and aqueous humor secretion.
Which preservative found in many ophthalmic solutions is associated with corneal epithelial toxicity with long-term use?
Answer: Benzalkonium chloride
Benzalkonium chloride (BAK), a quaternary ammonium compound, can disrupt the corneal epithelial cell membrane with chronic exposure.