Pharmacology MCQ practice

Anaesthesia and Pain Pharmacology Quiz

Test reasoning around anaesthetics, opioids, analgesics, antidotes, adverse effects, and peri-procedural medication safety.

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Sample Questions

Toxicology

A patient is unconscious with slow breathing after morphine. What is the immediate pharmacological antidote?

Glucagon
Naloxone
Atropine
Protamine

Answer: Naloxone

Naloxone reverses opioid-induced respiratory depression.

Atropine treats bradycardia, protamine reverses heparin, and glucagon treats beta-blocker toxicity.

General anaesthetics

What happens if a patient is administered an opioid analgesic before induction of inhalation GA?

The onset of anaesthesia may be slowed
Induction of anaesthesia is accelerated
Bronchial secretions are reduced
Respiration is improved

Answer: The onset of anaesthesia may be slowed

Opioids depress ventilation, which can slow inhaled anaesthetic uptake; they may also reduce MAC.

Opioids do not speed inhaled induction or improve ventilation; drying secretions is more typical of antimuscarinic premedication.

NSAIDs

Why should etoricoxib be used with caution in a patient with active peptic ulcers?

Inhibition of COX-1
Increased risk of bleeding
Reduced mucosal protection
Impairment of wound healing

Answer: Impairment of wound healing

Active peptic ulcer disease is a caution because COX inhibition can impair mucosal protection and healing.

The main concern is ulcer worsening or bleeding, not excessive vasodilation or reduced acidic pH.

Opioids

Which patient has tolerance that lowers respiratory-depression risk?

With hepatic impairment
On diazepam
On chronic morphine treatment
On first dosing with morphine

Answer: On chronic morphine treatment

Stable chronic morphine use produces tolerance to respiratory depression, making it less likely than at initiation.

First dosing, hepatic impairment, and diazepam co-use all increase respiratory depression risk.

Drug misuse

A patient on high-dose methadone has syncope. Which monitoring is most relevant?

ECG for QT prolongation
INR for bleeding
Serum urate
Peak expiratory flow

Answer: ECG for QT prolongation

Methadone can prolong QT and trigger arrhythmia.

INR, urate, and peak flow do not address methadone-related syncope risk.

General anaesthetics

What effect do inhalation GAs have on renal function?

Increase glomerular filtration
Increase diuresis
Increase natriuresis
Reduce renal blood flow

Answer: Reduce renal blood flow

Inhalational anaesthetics can reduce renal blood flow and glomerular filtration through haemodynamic effects.

They are not expected to increase GFR, diuresis, or natriuresis during anaesthesia.

Learning Design

Drugzzle uses brief single-best-answer rounds, immediate feedback, confidence reflection, and missed-question review to support retrieval practice and safer prescribing reasoning.