Practice Test GeeksDAANCE - Dental Anesthesia Assistant National Certification Examination Practice Test
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Anesthetic Pharmacology Flashcards

7 cards from real DAANCE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Which of the following drugs is classified as a non-opioid analgesic that works centrally and is commonly used as premedication for dental sedation?

    Answer: Acetaminophen

    Acetaminophen is a centrally acting non-opioid analgesic used for premedication and multimodal analgesia in dental sedation protocols.

  2. The primary mechanism by which local anesthetics block nerve conduction is:

    Answer: Binding to voltage-gated sodium channels in the inactivated state

    Local anesthetics bind to voltage-gated sodium channels in their inactivated state, preventing sodium influx and halting action potential propagation.

  3. A patient receiving IV propofol sedation develops apnea. Which of the following best explains this adverse effect?

    Answer: Propofol potentiates GABA-A receptors, depressing respiratory drive

    Propofol enhances inhibitory GABA-A receptor activity, which at higher doses suppresses the brainstem respiratory center.

  4. Which local anesthetic is unique in that it is an ester with an amide linkage within the same molecule and is delivered in cartridges with epinephrine for dental use?

    Answer: Articaine

    Articaine is a hybrid molecule containing both an amide and an ester group, allowing it to be metabolized in plasma as well as in the liver.

  5. Methemoglobinemia is a known toxic complication associated with which local anesthetic?

    Answer: Prilocaine

    Prilocaine's metabolite ortho-toluidine oxidizes hemoglobin to methemoglobin, reducing oxygen-carrying capacity.

  6. In pharmacokinetics, the 'volume of distribution' (Vd) of a sedation drug describes:

    Answer: How widely the drug distributes throughout the body relative to plasma concentration

    Volume of distribution reflects the extent to which a drug distributes into body tissues compared to remaining in plasma — a high Vd means extensive tissue uptake.

  7. Which of the following best describes tachyphylaxis in the context of sedation pharmacology?

    Answer: A rapid decrease in response to a drug after repeated administration

    Tachyphylaxis is acute tolerance characterized by rapidly diminishing drug effect with repeated short-interval dosing.

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