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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. A patient taking MAO inhibitors presents for dental treatment requiring pain control. Which drug combination poses the greatest risk?

    Answer: Meperidine + phenelzine

    Meperidine combined with MAO inhibitors can cause a life-threatening serotonin syndrome, manifesting as hyperthermia, seizures, and cardiovascular collapse.

  2. Which reversal agent is used to treat severe benzodiazepine sedation during dental procedures?

    Answer: Flumazenil

    Flumazenil is a competitive benzodiazepine receptor antagonist that rapidly reverses CNS depression caused by benzodiazepine overdose.

  3. Articaine differs from other amide local anesthetics in that it contains:

    Answer: A thiophene ring instead of a benzene ring

    Articaine uniquely contains a thiophene ring (instead of a benzene ring) and an additional ester group, allowing rapid plasma hydrolysis and a shorter systemic half-life.

  4. In dentistry, the vasoconstrictive concentration of epinephrine most commonly used is:

    Answer: 1:100,000

    A 1:100,000 epinephrine concentration (10 mcg/mL) provides adequate vasoconstriction to prolong anesthesia and limit bleeding without significant cardiovascular risk in most patients.

  5. Which analgesic mechanism best describes the action of NSAIDs?

    Answer: Inhibiting cyclooxygenase enzymes and prostaglandin synthesis

    NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) enzymes, reducing prostaglandin synthesis and thereby decreasing peripheral sensitization and inflammation-mediated pain.

  6. Prolonged use of which local anesthetic has been associated with causing permanent paresthesia, particularly with inferior alveolar nerve blocks?

    Answer: Articaine

    Articaine, especially at 4% concentration, has been epidemiologically associated with a higher incidence of persistent paresthesia following inferior alveolar and lingual nerve blocks.

  7. A patient with sulfonamide allergy asks about pain control options. Which drug should be avoided?

    Answer: Celecoxib

    Celecoxib contains a sulfonamide moiety and may cross-react in patients with sulfonamide allergies, potentially causing hypersensitivity reactions.