Questions and Answers

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Question 1:

Pediatric anesthesia: What are the appropriate dosages of the following drugs in a 20 kg child ?

a) Pentothal

b) Succinylcholine

c) Pavulon

d) Vecuronium

e) Atropine

f) Prostigmin/Atropine

g) Ketamine

Question 2:

Why does the addition of CO2 to a local anesthetic enhance and speed-up its effect ?

Which of the following are the signs of hypokalemia ?

a) peaked T in EKG

b) U wave in EKG

c) muscle weakness

d) arrhythmias

e) vomiting and loss of appetite

f) ST depression in EKG

Answers

Answer to Question 1:

a) Pentothal: 5 mg/kg i.v. = 100 mg

b) Succinylcholine: 1 mg/kg i.v. = 20 mg

c) Pavulon: 0.1 mg/kg i.v. = 2 mg

d) Vecuronium: 0.1 mg/kg i.v. = 2 mg

e) Atropine: 0.02 mg/kg i.v. = 0.4 mg

f) Prostigmin/Atropine: 0.04 mg/kg / 0.02 mg/kg i.v. = 0.8 mg / 0.4 mg

g) Ketamine: 1% 2-3 mg/kg i.v. = 40 - 60 mg i.v.
                      5% 5-8 mg/kg i.m. = 100 - 160 mg i.m.

Addition of CO2 to a local anesthetic:

•  enhances the effect through lowering the pH of the local anesthetic resulting in higher availability of kations
•  speeds up the effect through increasing absorption of the local anesthetic

The following are the signs of hypokalemia ?

b) U wave in EKG

c) muscle weakness

d) arrhythmias

e) vomiting and loss of appetite

f) ST depression in EKG

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