Surgical Pharmacology and Anesthesia Flashcards
7 cards from real Certified Surgical Technologist practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Surgical Pharmacology and Anesthesia flashcards as text
Which inhaled anesthetic agent is known to trigger malignant hyperthermia in susceptible patients?
Answer: Sevoflurane
Sevoflurane, like all volatile halogenated agents, can trigger malignant hyperthermia in genetically susceptible individuals through abnormal RYR1 receptor activation.
A surgeon requests epinephrine to be added to a local anesthetic. What is the primary purpose of this combination?
Answer: Prolong duration and reduce systemic absorption
Epinephrine causes local vasoconstriction, which slows systemic absorption of the local anesthetic, prolonging its duration and reducing toxicity.
Which muscle relaxant is classified as a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent?
Answer: Succinylcholine
Succinylcholine is the only clinically used depolarizing neuromuscular blocker, acting by mimicking acetylcholine and causing persistent depolarization.
What is the term for the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of an inhaled anesthetic?
Answer: The alveolar concentration preventing movement in 50% of patients to skin incision
MAC is defined as the minimum alveolar concentration of an anesthetic at which 50% of patients do not move in response to a standard surgical stimulus (skin incision).
Which benzodiazepine is commonly used for preoperative anxiolysis and intraoperative sedation in monitored anesthesia care?
Answer: Midazolam
Midazolam is preferred for perioperative use due to its rapid onset, short duration, water solubility, and amnestic properties.
When a patient is on anticoagulation therapy with warfarin, which lab value must be monitored preoperatively?
Answer: International normalized ratio (INR)
INR measures the extrinsic coagulation pathway affected by warfarin; a therapeutic INR for most indications is 2.0–3.0, and surgery typically requires it below 1.5.
The scrub technologist notes a medication labeled 'Marcaine' on the sterile field. What is the generic name?
Answer: Bupivacaine
Marcaine is the brand name for bupivacaine, a long-acting amide local anesthetic used for regional anesthesia and postoperative pain control.