Unit 5 - Pharm 2 Flashcards
What are the characteristics that differ among the axons of peripheral nerves?
Size, structure, speed of conduction, myelination, sensitivity to local anesthetic blockade
How does myelination and axon diameter affect conduction velocity?
Increased myelination and wider axon diameter increase conduction velocity
What are the three major classes of peripheral nerves based on diameter and myelination?
A, B, C
In what order do local anesthetics inhibit peripheral nerves based on speed of onset?
B fibers, C fibers, small diameter A fibers, large diameter A fibers
In what order does regression of blockade occur?
Opposite order of block onset
What do local anesthetics bind to in voltage-gated Na+ channels?
Alpha subunit
What are the three possible states of the Na+ channel?
Resting (Nonconducting), Active (Conducting), Inactive (Nonconducting)
According to the guarded receptor hypothesis, when can local anesthetics bind to Na+ channels?
When Na+ channels are in their active or inactive states
What is the resting membrane potential of a peripheral nerve?
-70 mV
What is the threshold potential for depolarization in a peripheral nerve?
-55 mV
What occurs during depolarization in a nerve?
Na+ enters the cell and an action potential is propagated
What restores the resting membrane potential after depolarization?
Increased K+ conductance and Na/K-ATPase activity
What effect do local anesthetics have on resting membrane potential and threshold potential?
They do NOT affect resting membrane potential or threshold potential
Fill in the blank: Hypocalcemia makes the threshold potential more ______.
negative
What are local anesthetics classified as in terms of their acidity?
Weak bases
What happens to local anesthetics when injected around a nerve?
They dissociate into an unchanged base and an ionized conjugated acid
How does pKa affect the onset of action of local anesthetics?
Closer pKa to blood pH leads to faster onset; further pKa leads to slower onset
How are ester local anesthetics metabolized?
In the plasma by pseudocholinesterase
How are amide local anesthetics metabolized?
In the liver by the P450 system
What is the significance of the number of ‘i’s in amide local anesthetics?
All amides have two ‘i’s in their name
What is the maximum dose of bupivacaine in Exparel?
266 mg (2 vials)
What is the recommended treatment for lidocaine toxicity?
100% FiO2, benzodiazepines for seizures
What is the primary cause of local anesthetic toxicity syndrome (LAST)?
Inadvertent IV injection during regional anesthesia
Which local anesthetic is associated with the highest difficulty of cardiac resuscitation?
Bupivacaine