CNS drugs (antiepileptics, anesthetics) Practice Questions

Question 1

A 24-year-old man presents to his primary care physician for a persistent and low grade headache as well as trouble focusing. The patient was seen in the emergency department 3 days ago after hitting his head on a branch while biking under the influence of alcohol. His head CT at the time was normal, and the patient was sent home with follow up instructions. Since the event, he has experienced trouble focusing on his school work and feels confused at times while listening to lectures. He states that he can’t remember the lectures and also says he has experienced a sensation of vertigo at times. On review of systems, he states that he has felt depressed lately and has had trouble sleeping, though he denies any suicidal or homicidal ideation. His temperature is 98.2°F (36.8°C), blood pressure is 122/65 mmHg, pulse is 70/min, respirations are 12/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. The patient’s neurological and cardiopulmonary exam are within normal limits. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Rest and primary care follow up

Answer

Thiamine

Answer

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Answer

CT scan of the head without contrast

Answer

Fluoxetine

Question 2

A 10-year-old girl is brought to the emergency department by her mother 30 minutes after having had a seizure. When her mother woke her up that morning, the girl's entire body stiffened and she started shaking vigorously for several minutes. Her mother also reports that over the past few months, her daughter has had multiple episodes of being unresponsive for less than a minute, during which her eyelids were fluttering. The girl did not recall these episodes afterwards. Upon arrival, she appears drowsy. Neurologic examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacotherapy to prevent recurrence of this patient's symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Valproate

Answer

Topiramate

Answer

Lorazepam

Answer

Ethosuximide

Answer

Phenytoin

Question 3

A 5-year-old boy presents to his pediatrician along with his parents due to episodes of “staring into space.” This symptom occurs several times a day and lasts only a few seconds. During these episodes, the boy does not respond to verbal or physical stimulation, and his parents deny him falling down or shaking. After the episode, the boy returns to his normal activity and is not confused. The parents deny any history of head trauma, recent medication use, or infection. Neurological exam is unremarkable. His episode is precipitated as he blows at a pinwheel. An EEG is performed, which shows 3-Hz spike and waveform. Which of the following is the best treatment option for this patient?

Accepted Answer

Ethosuximide

Answer

Zonisamide

Answer

Valproic acid

Answer

Lamotrigine

Answer

Levetiracetam

Question 4

A 37-year-old man is presented to the emergency department by paramedics after being involved in a serious 3-car collision on an interstate highway while he was driving his motorcycle. On physical examination, he is responsive only to painful stimuli and his pupils are not reactive to light. His upper extremities are involuntarily flexed with hands clenched into fists. The vital signs include temperature 36.1°C (97.0°F), blood pressure 80/60 mm Hg, and pulse 102/min. A non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan of the head shows a massive intracerebral hemorrhage with a midline shift. Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis shows partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2) of 68 mm Hg, and the patient is put on mechanical ventilation. His condition continues to decline while in the emergency department and it is suspected that this patient is brain dead. Which of the following results can be used to confirm brain death and legally remove this patient from the ventilator?

Accepted Answer

Apnea test

Answer

Electrocardiogram

Answer

Lumbar puncture and CSF culture

Answer

Electromyography with nerve conduction studies

Answer

CT scan

Question 5

A 16-year-old girl who recently immigrated to the United States from Bolivia presents to her primary care physician with a chief complaint of inattentiveness in school. The patient's teacher describes her as occasionally "day-dreaming" for periods of time during which the patient does not respond or participate in school activities. Nothing has helped the patient change her behavior, including parent-teacher conferences or punishment. The patient has no other complaints herself. The only other concern that the patient's mother has is that upon awakening she notices that sometimes the patient's arm will jerk back and forth. The patient states she is not doing this intentionally. The patient has an unknown past medical history and is currently not on any medications. On physical exam you note a young, healthy girl whose neurological exam is within normal limits. Which of the following is the best initial treatment?

Accepted Answer

Valproic acid

Answer

Ethosuximide

Answer

Carbamazepine

Answer

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Answer

Lamotrigine

Question 6

A 25-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by paramedics with a seizure lasting over 30 minutes. The patient's neighbors found him outside his apartment with all four limbs flailing and not responding to his name. No significant past medical history. On physical examination, the patient continues to be unresponsive and slightly cyanotic with irregular breathing. His teeth are clenched tightly. Intravenous glucose and an anticonvulsant medication are administered. Which of the following is the mechanism of action of the drug that was most likely administered to stop this patient’s seizure?

Accepted Answer

Increase in frequency of chloride channel opening

Answer

Blockage of voltage-gated calcium channels

Answer

Blockage of T-type calcium

Answer

Prolongation of chloride channel opening

Answer

Inactivation of sodium channels

Question 7

An epidemiologist is evaluating the efficacy of Noxbinle in preventing HCC deaths at the population level. A clinical trial shows that over 5 years, the mortality rate from HCC was 25% in the control group and 15% in patients treated with Noxbinle 100 mg daily. Based on this data, how many patients need to be treated with Noxbinle 100 mg to prevent, on average, one death from HCC?

Accepted Answer

10

Answer

20

Answer

73

Answer

50

Answer

100

Question 8

A 57-year-old man was brought into the emergency department unconscious 2 days ago. His friends who were with him at that time say he collapsed on the street. Upon arrival to the ED, he had a generalized tonic seizure. At that time, he was intubated and is being treated with diazepam and phenytoin. A noncontrast head CT revealed hemorrhages within the pons and cerebellum with a mass effect and tonsillar herniation. Today, his blood pressure is 110/65 mm Hg, heart rate is 65/min, respiratory rate is 12/min (intubated, ventilator settings: tidal volume (TV) 600 ml, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 5 cm H2O, and FiO2 40%), and temperature is 37.0°C (98.6°F). On physical examination, the patient is in a comatose state. Pupils are 4 mm bilaterally and unresponsive to light. Cornea reflexes are absent. Gag reflex and cough reflex are also absent. Which of the following is the next best step in the management of this patient?

Accepted Answer

Apnea test

Answer

Second opinion from a neurologist

Answer

Withdraw ventilation support and mark time of death

Answer

Electroencephalogram

Answer

Repeat examination in several hours

Question 9

A 23-year-old man presents with a blunt force injury to the head from a baseball bat. He is currently unconscious, although his friends say he was awake and speaking with them en route to the hospital. He has no significant past medical history and takes no current medications. The vital signs include: temperature 37.0°C (98.6°F), blood pressure 165/85 mm Hg, pulse 50/min, and respiratory rate 19/min. On physical examination, there is a blunt force injury to the left temporoparietal region approximately 10.1–12.7 cm (4–5 in) in diameter. There is anisocoria of the left pupil, which is unresponsive to light. The patient is intubated and fluid resuscitation is initiated. A noncontrast computed tomography (CT) scan of the head is acquired and shown in the exhibit (see image). Which of the following is the most appropriate medical treatment for this patient?

Accepted Answer

Mannitol

Answer

Placement of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt

Answer

Acetazolamide

Answer

Placing the head of the bed at 0 degrees

Answer

Maintain a PaCO2 of 24 mm Hg

Question 10

A group of researchers is studying various inhaled substances to determine their anesthetic properties. In particular, they are trying to identify an anesthetic with fast onset and quick recovery for use in emergencies. They determine the following data:
Inhalational anesthetic  Blood-gas partition coefficient
A 0.15
B 0.92
C 5.42
Which of the following statements is accurate with regard to these inhaled anesthetic substances?

Accepted Answer

Agent A has the fastest onset of action

Answer

Agent C has the fastest onset of action

Answer

Agent B is the most potent

Answer

Agent B has the fastest onset of action

Answer

Agent A is the most potent

CNS drugs (antiepileptics, anesthetics)

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Sodium channel blocking antiepileptics

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Glutamate antagonist antiepileptics

SV2A modulating antiepileptics

Antiepileptic drug interactions

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General anesthesia stages and monitoring

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