Practice Test GeeksDAANCE - Dental Anesthesia Assistant National Certification Examination Practice Test
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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.

Read the first 7 Pharmacology flashcards as text

  1. Which opioid analgesic is most commonly used as a component of balanced anesthesia in dental sedation due to its rapid onset and short duration?

    Answer: Fentanyl

    Fentanyl is preferred for dental sedation because of its rapid onset (1-2 minutes) and relatively short duration (30-60 minutes), making it ideal for titration.

  2. A patient receiving nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation suddenly develops hypoxia. The MOST appropriate immediate action is to:

    Answer: Administer 100% oxygen and discontinue nitrous oxide

    When hypoxia occurs during N2O sedation, 100% oxygen must be administered immediately and nitrous oxide discontinued to prevent diffusion hypoxia and restore adequate oxygenation.

  3. Midazolam produces anterograde amnesia primarily by acting on which receptor type?

    Answer: GABA-A receptors

    Midazolam enhances GABA-A receptor chloride ion conductance, producing CNS depression, anxiolysis, and anterograde amnesia.

  4. Which drug is classified as an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist and is sometimes used as an adjunct in sedation for its anxiolytic and analgesic-sparing properties?

    Answer: Dexmedetomidine

    Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist that provides sedation, anxiolysis, and analgesia with minimal respiratory depression.

  5. The maximum recommended dose of lidocaine WITH epinephrine for a healthy adult dental patient is:

    Answer: 7 mg/kg up to 500 mg

    Lidocaine with epinephrine has a maximum dose of 7 mg/kg, not to exceed 500 mg in a healthy adult, because epinephrine reduces systemic absorption.

  6. Which benzodiazepine has the LONGEST elimination half-life and carries the greatest risk of cumulative sedation with repeated dosing?

    Answer: Diazepam

    Diazepam has an elimination half-life of 20-100 hours (plus active metabolites), making accumulation a significant concern with repeated doses.

  7. Methemoglobinemia is a known toxic risk associated with excessive doses of which local anesthetic?

    Answer: Prilocaine

    Prilocaine is metabolized to o-toluidine, which oxidizes hemoglobin to methemoglobin, impairing oxygen-carrying capacity at higher doses.

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