Pharmacology of Inhalation Agents
UPDATED Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Whose law explains the second gas effect?
A. Henry's
B. Poiseuille's
C. Dalton's
D. Fick's - CORRECT ANSWER - D. Fick's
Which of the following factors has no effect on MAC (mean alveolar concentration)
A. Age
B. Duration of anesthesia
C. Hyperthyroidism
D. Metabolic Acidosis - CORRECT ANSWER - B. Duration of anesthesia
Which inhalation agent has the following characteristics: non pungent, reacts with soda lime, and
may trigger malignant hyperthermia?
A. Halothan
B. Isoflurane
C. Desflurane
D. Sevoflurane - CORRECT ANSWER - D. Sevoflurane
Which of the following agents should not be used as an anesthetic in a patient prone to
arrhythmias?
A. Desflurane
B. Isoflurane
C. Sevoflurane
,D. Nitrous Oxide - CORRECT ANSWER - A. Desflurane
Which of the following pharmacologic agents would have the LEAST effect on somatosensory
evoked potentials?
A. Isoflurane
B. Nitrous Oxide
C. Sodium thiopental
D. Etomidate
E. Vecuronium - CORRECT ANSWER - E. Vecuronium
CMR is decreased by
A. Isoflurane
B. Seizure
C. Hyperthermia
D. Ketamine
E. Corticosteroids - CORRECT ANSWER - A. Isoflurane
Which one of the following discovered the anesthetic properties of nitrous oxide?
A. Gardner Colton
B. Charles Jackson
C. Horace Wells
D. Crawford Long - CORRECT ANSWER - C. Horace Wells
Which of the following agents was the first to be publicly demonstrated to produce general
anesthesia, and who discovered it?
A. Nitrous oxide, Horace Wells
B. Diethyl ether, William Morton
C. Chloroform, James Simpson
, D. Diethyl ether, Crawford Long - CORRECT ANSWER - B. Diethyl ether, William Morton
Why did nitrous oxide, diethyl ether, and chloroform serve as the mainstays of practice for nearly
a century?
A. They were safe, having no toxicity
B. Other anesthetics were too expensive
C. The technology needed to synthesize and deliver other new anesthetics had not been
developed
D. They did not cause respiratory depression - CORRECT ANSWER - C. They technology
needed to synthesize and deliver new anesthetics had not been developed
The "modern" inhaled anesthetics differ from those developed before 1950 in that the modern
anesthetics are:
A. Halogenated with fluorine
B. Less costly
C. Nonflammable
D. Less prone to produce arrhythmias from epinephrine injection - CORRECT ANSWER - A.
Halogenated with fluorine
Substitution of fluorine for chlorine in an inhaled anesthetic results in which of the following?
A. Increased solubility
B. Increased vapor pressure
C. Increased boiling point
D. Increased potency
E. Decreased molecular stability - CORRECT ANSWER - B. Increased vapor pressure
Substitution of a fluorine for a chlorine atom in an inhaled anesthetic guarantees which of the
following?
A. Molecular stability
B. Increased potency
UPDATED Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Whose law explains the second gas effect?
A. Henry's
B. Poiseuille's
C. Dalton's
D. Fick's - CORRECT ANSWER - D. Fick's
Which of the following factors has no effect on MAC (mean alveolar concentration)
A. Age
B. Duration of anesthesia
C. Hyperthyroidism
D. Metabolic Acidosis - CORRECT ANSWER - B. Duration of anesthesia
Which inhalation agent has the following characteristics: non pungent, reacts with soda lime, and
may trigger malignant hyperthermia?
A. Halothan
B. Isoflurane
C. Desflurane
D. Sevoflurane - CORRECT ANSWER - D. Sevoflurane
Which of the following agents should not be used as an anesthetic in a patient prone to
arrhythmias?
A. Desflurane
B. Isoflurane
C. Sevoflurane
,D. Nitrous Oxide - CORRECT ANSWER - A. Desflurane
Which of the following pharmacologic agents would have the LEAST effect on somatosensory
evoked potentials?
A. Isoflurane
B. Nitrous Oxide
C. Sodium thiopental
D. Etomidate
E. Vecuronium - CORRECT ANSWER - E. Vecuronium
CMR is decreased by
A. Isoflurane
B. Seizure
C. Hyperthermia
D. Ketamine
E. Corticosteroids - CORRECT ANSWER - A. Isoflurane
Which one of the following discovered the anesthetic properties of nitrous oxide?
A. Gardner Colton
B. Charles Jackson
C. Horace Wells
D. Crawford Long - CORRECT ANSWER - C. Horace Wells
Which of the following agents was the first to be publicly demonstrated to produce general
anesthesia, and who discovered it?
A. Nitrous oxide, Horace Wells
B. Diethyl ether, William Morton
C. Chloroform, James Simpson
, D. Diethyl ether, Crawford Long - CORRECT ANSWER - B. Diethyl ether, William Morton
Why did nitrous oxide, diethyl ether, and chloroform serve as the mainstays of practice for nearly
a century?
A. They were safe, having no toxicity
B. Other anesthetics were too expensive
C. The technology needed to synthesize and deliver other new anesthetics had not been
developed
D. They did not cause respiratory depression - CORRECT ANSWER - C. They technology
needed to synthesize and deliver new anesthetics had not been developed
The "modern" inhaled anesthetics differ from those developed before 1950 in that the modern
anesthetics are:
A. Halogenated with fluorine
B. Less costly
C. Nonflammable
D. Less prone to produce arrhythmias from epinephrine injection - CORRECT ANSWER - A.
Halogenated with fluorine
Substitution of fluorine for chlorine in an inhaled anesthetic results in which of the following?
A. Increased solubility
B. Increased vapor pressure
C. Increased boiling point
D. Increased potency
E. Decreased molecular stability - CORRECT ANSWER - B. Increased vapor pressure
Substitution of a fluorine for a chlorine atom in an inhaled anesthetic guarantees which of the
following?
A. Molecular stability
B. Increased potency
