Anaesthesia and perioperative care: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

General Surgery · Anaesthesia and perioperative care

Sample item

During general anaesthesia with a volatile agent and suxamethonium, a patient develops masseter spasm, rising end-tidal carbon dioxide, tachycardia and rapidly increasing temperature. Which drug is specific treatment?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Dantrolene

The picture is malignant hyperthermia, an inherited disorder of skeletal muscle calcium handling triggered by volatile agents and suxamethonium. Dantrolene blocks calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Triggers are stopped, and the patient is cooled and supported.

Option by option

  • A. Bromocriptine

    Bromocriptine is used in neuroleptic malignant syndrome, which has a different cause.

  • B. Cyproheptadine

    Cyproheptadine is used for serotonin syndrome, not for anaesthetic triggers.

  • C. Paracetamol

    Paracetamol does not act on this central muscle process and is ineffective against hyperthermia of this type.

  • D. Dantrolene (correct)

    Correct. It reduces intracellular calcium release and breaks the hypermetabolic cycle.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is D, Dantrolene. The picture is malignant hyperthermia, an inherited disorder of skeletal muscle calcium handling triggered by volatile agents and suxamethonium.

Why is "Bromocriptine" not the answer?

Bromocriptine is used in neuroleptic malignant syndrome, which has a different cause.

Why is "Cyproheptadine" not the answer?

Cyproheptadine is used for serotonin syndrome, not for anaesthetic triggers.

Why is "Paracetamol" not the answer?

Paracetamol does not act on this central muscle process and is ineffective against hyperthermia of this type.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Anaesthesia and perioperative care in General Surgery. Dantrolene blocks calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Triggers are stopped, and the patient is cooled and supported.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Anaesthesia and perioperative care?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.