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Pharmacology and Pain Control Flashcards

7 cards from real NBDE 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 and Pain Control flashcards as text

  1. Which opioid analgesic is considered safest for patients with hepatic impairment due to its primarily renal excretion?

    Answer: Morphine

    Morphine is preferred in hepatic impairment because its primary metabolite, morphine-6-glucuronide, is renally excreted rather than hepatically processed.

  2. A patient on warfarin requires dental extraction. Which analgesic is MOST appropriate for postoperative pain management?

    Answer: Acetaminophen

    Acetaminophen does not inhibit platelet function or significantly potentiate warfarin anticoagulation at recommended doses, making it the safest choice.

  3. The maximum recommended daily dose of acetaminophen in a healthy adult is:

    Answer: 4,000 mg

    The FDA recommends a maximum of 4,000 mg per day for healthy adults to avoid hepatotoxicity; lower limits apply to those with liver disease or heavy alcohol use.

  4. Which benzodiazepine is preferred for IV conscious sedation in dentistry because of its short half-life and amnestic properties?

    Answer: Midazolam

    Midazolam has a rapid onset, short duration, and pronounced anterograde amnesia, making it ideal for brief dental sedation procedures.

  5. Epinephrine in local anesthetic solutions acts primarily to:

    Answer: Decrease systemic toxicity of the anesthetic

    Epinephrine causes vasoconstriction at the injection site, slowing systemic absorption and decreasing peak plasma concentration of the local anesthetic, reducing toxicity risk.

  6. A dentist administers prilocaine and the patient develops cyanosis unresponsive to oxygen. The most likely diagnosis is:

    Answer: Methemoglobinemia

    Prilocaine's metabolite o-toluidine oxidizes hemoglobin to methemoglobin, which cannot carry oxygen, causing characteristic cyanosis unresponsive to supplemental O2.

  7. Which drug class is CONTRAINDICATED with the use of epinephrine-containing local anesthetics due to risk of severe hypertension?

    Answer: Non-selective beta-blockers

    Non-selective beta-blockers leave alpha-adrenergic receptors unopposed when epinephrine is given, causing potentially severe hypertension and reflex bradycardia.