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Veterinary Anesthesia and Pain Management Flashcards

7 cards from real NAVLE 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 opioid analgesic is classified as a partial mu-opioid receptor agonist and exhibits a ceiling effect for analgesia at higher doses?

    Answer: Buprenorphine

    Buprenorphine is a partial mu-opioid agonist with very high receptor affinity; because it is a partial agonist, increasing the dose beyond a threshold does not produce proportionally greater analgesia, resulting in a ceiling effect.

  2. A dog undergoes hindlimb amputation. Which regional anesthetic technique would provide the MOST comprehensive perioperative analgesia for this procedure?

    Answer: Lumbosacral epidural with morphine and lidocaine

    A lumbosacral epidural combining an opioid (morphine) for prolonged analgesia and a local anesthetic (lidocaine/bupivacaine) for sensory and motor blockade provides the most effective and comprehensive analgesia for hindlimb amputations.

  3. NSAIDs reduce pain and inflammation primarily by inhibiting which enzyme, thereby reducing prostaglandin synthesis?

    Answer: Cyclooxygenase (COX)

    NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and/or COX-2), which are required to convert arachidonic acid into prostaglandins and thromboxanes, thereby reducing pain, inflammation, and fever.

  4. Among commonly used local anesthetics in veterinary medicine, which agent provides the LONGEST duration of nerve block?

    Answer: Bupivacaine

    Bupivacaine has the longest duration of action among common local anesthetics (4–8 hours for nerve blocks) due to its high protein binding and lipid solubility, making it ideal for postoperative pain management.

  5. Gabapentin is increasingly used in veterinary patients for chronic and neuropathic pain. What is its primary mechanism of action?

    Answer: Voltage-gated calcium channel alpha-2-delta subunit inhibition

    Gabapentin binds to the alpha-2-delta subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, reducing excitatory neurotransmitter release and dampening central sensitization.

  6. In cats, which opioid analgesic and route of administration is generally PREFERRED for outpatient pain management due to high oral transmucosal bioavailability and safety?

    Answer: Buprenorphine administered oral transmucosally (OTM)

    Buprenorphine administered as an oral transmucosal (OTM) solution has approximately 100% bioavailability in cats due to their alkaline oral pH, providing effective analgesia without injections and making it practical for home use.

  7. The multimodal approach to perioperative pain management is preferred because it primarily achieves which goal?

    Answer: Reduces overall side effects while maintaining or improving analgesia through synergistic mechanisms

    Multimodal analgesia combines drugs from different classes (opioids, NSAIDs, local anesthetics, alpha-2 agonists, NMDA antagonists) that act at different pain pathway targets, allowing lower doses of each agent while achieving superior pain control and reducing class-specific adverse effects.