Exam 2 Stoetling's Book Benzos questions Flashcards
What are the five principal pharmacologic effects of benzodiazepines?
a. Antihistamine, anticonvulsant, anterograde amnesia, anxiolysis, and sedation
b. Anterograde amnesia, sedation, anticonvulsant actions, spinal cord–mediated skeletal muscle relaxation, and anxiolysis
c. Sedation, anticonvulsant actions, antihistamine, anxiolysis, and retrograde amnesia
d. Anterograde amnesia, skeletal muscle relaxation, antihistamine, anticonvulsant actions, and anxiolysis
Answer: b. Anterograde amnesia, sedation, anticonvulsant actions, spinal cord–mediated skeletal muscle relaxation, and anxiolysis.
Which of the following is true about benzodiazepines and skeletal muscle relaxation?
a. Benzodiazepines produce adequate skeletal muscle relaxation for surgical procedures
b. Benzodiazepines do not produce adequate skeletal muscle relaxation for surgical procedures
c. Benzodiazepines only produce skeletal muscle relaxation for minor surgical procedures
d. Benzodiazepines increase the need for neuromuscular blocking drugs during surgical procedures
Answer: b. Benzodiazepines do not produce adequate skeletal muscle relaxation for surgical procedures.
Why are benzodiazepines widely used in clinical practice?
a. Because they have no side effects
b. Because they produce adequate skeletal muscle relaxation for surgical procedures
c. Because of their efficacy for anxiety and insomnia
d. Because they are more effective than opioids
Answer: c. Because of their efficacy for anxiety and insomnia.
How do benzodiazepines produce their pharmacologic effects?
a. By activating the GABAA receptors
b. By increasing the number of GABAA receptors in the brain
c. By enhancing the affinity of GABAA receptors for GABA
d. By inhibiting the production of GABA
Answer: c. By enhancing the affinity of GABAA receptors for GABA.
What is the role of the γ subunit in benzodiazepine binding to the GABAA receptor?
a. It is required for benzodiazepine binding
b. It inhibits benzodiazepine binding
c. It increases the potency of benzodiazepines
d. It is not involved in benzodiazepine binding
Answer: a. It is required for benzodiazepine binding.
How do benzodiazepines produce their pharmacologic effects?
a) By activating the GABAA receptors
b) By enhancing the affinity of the receptors for GABA
c) By producing more frequent channel openings without affecting the receptors
d) By inhibiting the GABAA receptors
Answer: b) By enhancing the affinity of the receptors for GABA
Which subunits of the GABAA receptor are required for benzodiazepine binding?
a) Alpha and beta
b) Alpha and gamma
c) Beta and gamma
d) Gamma and delta
Answer: b) Alpha and gamma
Which subunit-containing GABAA receptors are important for sedation?
a) Alpha 1 and alpha 5
b) Alpha 2 and alpha 5
c) Alpha 3 and alpha 5
d) Alpha 4 and alpha 5
Answer: a) Alpha 1 and alpha 5
What is the basis for pharmacologic synergy between benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and alcohol?
a) They all activate the GABAA receptors
b) They all enhance the affinity of the receptors for GABA
c) They all act on physically separate binding sites of the GABAA receptor
d) They all inhibit the uptake, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of GABA
Answer: c) They all act on physically separate binding sites of the GABAA receptor
What is the reason for the low toxicity and clinical safety of benzodiazepines?
a) They have a built-in ceiling effect that prevents them from exceeding the physiologic maximum of GABA inhibition
b) They have a high binding affinity to plasma proteins
c) They are poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract
d) They have a low lipid solubility and cannot cross the blood-brain barrier
Answer: a) They have a built-in ceiling effect that prevents them from exceeding the physiologic maximum of GABA inhibition
What is the most common side effect in patients treated with benzodiazepines?
A. Decreased motor coordination
B. Anterograde amnesia
C. Fatigue and drowsiness
D. Impairment of cognitive function
Answer: C
How long does sedation usually last in patients chronically treated with benzodiazepines?
A. 1 week
B. 2 weeks
C. 3 weeks
D. 4 weeks
Answer: B
What should patients be instructed to do when ingesting benzodiazepines?
A. Take them after meals
B. Take them with antacids
C. Take them before meals
D. Take them during meals
Answer: C
What is the effect of chronic administration of benzodiazepines on systemic blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac rhythm?
A. Adversely affects them
B. Improves them
C. No effect
D. Not mentioned in the text
Answer: C
Why should benzodiazepines be avoided in patients with chronic lung disease characterized by hypoventilation and/or decreased arterial oxygenation?
A. They may decrease absorption from the gastrointestinal tract
B. They may interact with other medications to have adverse effects
C. They adversely affect systemic blood pressure, heart rate, or cardiac rhythm
D. Effects on ventilation may be absent
Answer: D
What may occur when benzodiazepines are used in combination with other CNS depressant drugs?
A. Anterograde amnesia
B. Decreased motor coordination
C. Impairment of cognitive function
D. All of the above
Answer: D
What is a potential side effect of acute administration of benzodiazepines, especially when combined with alcohol?
A. Hypertension
B. Bradycardia
C. Anterograde amnesia
D. None of the above
Answer: C
Which of the following substances do benzodiazepines have synergistic sedative effects with?
A) Caffeine
B) Nicotine
C) Alcohol
D) All of the above
Answer: C) Alcohol