FCPS IMM Anesthesia Pharmacology of Anaesthetic Drugs MCQs: High-Yield Practice Questions & Prep
Sample FCPS IMM Anesthesia pharmacology of anaesthetic drugs MCQs on intravenous and inhalational agents, muscle relaxants, opioids, local anaesthetics and reversal agents, with the reasoning behind every answer.
Pharmacology of Anaesthetic Drugs is one of the subject blocks in the FCPS IMM Anesthesia QBank. It covers intravenous and inhalational agents, muscle relaxants, opioids, local anaesthetics and reversal agents. Below is a sample set in the style of the bank, with the reasoning after each answer.
Sample MCQs
1. Which agent is best for inhalational induction in children?
- A) Desflurane
- B) Isoflurane
- C) Enflurane
- D) Sevoflurane ✅
Why: Sevoflurane is sweet-smelling and non-irritant.
2. A 35 y/o asthmatic patient is scheduled for a minor surgical procedure. Which induction agent and muscle relaxant combination is safest for this patient?
- A) Propofol and Succinylcholine
- B) Ketamine and d-tubocurarine
- C) Ketamine and Vecuronium ✅
- D) Thiopental and Rocuronium
Why: Ketamine is beneficial in asthmatics as it provides analgesia and induces bronchodilation without significant hemodynamic instability and Vecuronium is a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant that does not release histamine, making it safe for use in asthmatic patients.
3. Which of the following is contraindicated in patients with acute intermittent porphyria?
- A) Thiopentone ✅
- B) Propofol
- C) Etomidate
- D) Ketamine
Why: Thiopentone is contraindicated in patients with acute intermittent porphyria. Thiopentone is a barbiturate anesthetic agent that can potentially trigger an acute porphyria attack.
4. Glycopyrrolate is used as a preanesthetic agent for
- A) Reducing the secretions ✅
- B) Sedative effect
- C) Skeletal muscle relaxant
- D) Anxiolytic
Why: Glycopyrrolate, an anticholinergic, is commonly used before surgery to reduce excessive secretions, particularly in the respiratory tract.
5. The antagonist of opioid-induced respiratory depression is:
- A) Flumazenil
- B) Physostigmine
- C) Naloxone ✅
- D) Doxapram
Why: Naloxone has a short half-life; repeat doses may be needed.
6. The initial adult dose of adenosine for supraventricular tachycardia is:
- A) 6 mg rapid IV bolus ✅
- B) 1 mg
- C) 50 mg
- D) 100 mg
Why: Adenosine causes brief AV nodal block; its half-life is under 10 seconds.
7. A 24-year-old male with no significant medical history is scheduled for a minor surgical procedure. The anesthesiologist administers remimazolam for sedation. What is the primary advantage of remimazolam over midazolam in this setting?
- A) More rapid and consistent recovery profile. ✅
- B) Reduced risk of respiratory depression.
- C) Stronger anxiolytic properties.
- D) Longer duration of action.
Why: Remimazolam has a significant advantage over midazolam due to its rapid and consistent recovery profile . It is an ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine that is metabolized quickly by tissue esterases , resulting in faster clearance from the body.
8. Which inhalational agent is best suited for patients with compromised cardiac function?
- A) Halothane
- B) Isoflurane
- C) Desflurane ✅
- D) Sevoflurane
Why: Desflurane is known for its rapid onset and offset of action, making it a suitable choice for patients with cardiac conditions.
9. Reversal of rocuronium can be achieved by:
- A) Atropine
- B) Edrophonium only
- C) Sugammadex ✅
- D) Naloxone
Why: Sugammadex encapsulates aminosteroid agents.
10. Which relaxant is contraindicated in a patient with burns after 48 hours?
- A) Rocuronium
- B) Atracurium
- C) Suxamethonium ✅
- D) Vecuronium
Why: Up-regulated extrajunctional receptors cause massive potassium release.
How to Study This Block
- Learn each induction agent with its main side effect and its contraindication.
- Compare inhalational agents by MAC and blood-gas solubility.
- Know the mechanism, onset and reversal of depolarising and non-depolarising relaxants.
Each subject in the QBank can be filtered on its own, so you can drill pharmacology of anaesthetic drugs until your accuracy is stable. Confirm the exam format and syllabus against the current CPSP guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is pharmacology the biggest block?
Anaesthesia is applied pharmacology, so drug properties and interactions are the commonest question type.
Are doses tested?
Selected standard doses appear, but most questions test mechanism, side effects and contraindications.
Practise With the Full QBank
The FCPS IMM Anesthesia QBank has a free trial batch in Tutor mode, subject filters and Timed mode. Related: complete exam guide, how to use recalls.
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