NBSTSA Surgical Pharmacology & Anesthesia 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which local anesthetic agent is an AMIDE and is most commonly used for spinal anesthesia?
- Procaine
- Bupivacaine (Correct answer)
- Cocaine
- Chloroprocaine
Correct answer: Bupivacaine
Bupivacaine (Marcaine) is an amide local anesthetic widely used for spinal anesthesia due to its long duration of action.
Question 2: The scrub technologist's primary responsibility regarding medications on the sterile field is to:
- Calculate drug dosages for the surgeon
- Label all medications and solutions immediately upon receiving them (Correct answer)
- Select appropriate medications from the pharmacy cart
- Reconstitute powdered medications as needed
Correct answer: Label all medications and solutions immediately upon receiving them
All medications and solutions on the sterile field must be labeled immediately with drug name, concentration, and any other required information to prevent medication errors.
Question 3: Which reversal agent is used to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression in surgical patients?
- Neostigmine
- Flumazenil
- Naloxone (Correct answer)
- Sugammadex
Correct answer: Naloxone
Naloxone (Narcan) is an opioid antagonist used to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression by competing at opioid receptors.
Question 4: Malignant hyperthermia is triggered by which class of anesthetic agents?
- Opioids and benzodiazepines
- Volatile halogenated agents and succinylcholine (Correct answer)
- Regional anesthetics and propofol
- Nitrous oxide and ketamine
Correct answer: Volatile halogenated agents and succinylcholine
Malignant hyperthermia is a life-threatening hypermetabolic crisis triggered by volatile halogenated anesthetics and succinylcholine in genetically susceptible patients.
Question 5: Which medication is the definitive treatment for malignant hyperthermia?
- Epinephrine
- Dantrolene sodium (Correct answer)
- Propofol
- Calcium gluconate
Correct answer: Dantrolene sodium
Dantrolene sodium is the specific antidote for malignant hyperthermia; it acts by inhibiting calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal muscle.
Question 6: Epinephrine is added to local anesthetic solutions for surgical procedures primarily to:
- Enhance the anesthetic effect of the drug
- Cause vasoconstriction and prolong anesthetic duration (Correct answer)
- Neutralize the pH of the local anesthetic
- Reduce the risk of allergic reaction
Correct answer: Cause vasoconstriction and prolong anesthetic duration
Epinephrine causes local vasoconstriction, which slows systemic absorption of the anesthetic, prolongs its duration, and reduces bleeding at the operative site.
NBSTSA Surgical Pharmacology & Anesthesia 1
Which local anesthetic agent is an AMIDE and is most commonly used for spinal anesthesia?