Beta Blockers USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 34-year-old woman with a history of hypertension managed with a daily oral beta-blocker is scheduled for a minor outpatient procedure. Prior to the procedure, she receives an intravenous sedative agent. Her vital signs are stable at a blood pressure of 118/74 mmHg, heart rate of 62 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 14 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation of 99% on room air. The drug administered rapidly leaves the plasma and accumulates widely in adipose tissue and other peripheral organs. A pharmacologist reviewing the case notes that only a small fraction of the administered dose remains in the intravascular compartment after equilibration, requiring careful dosing adjustments in obese patients. Which of the following best describes this drug?
Answer choices
- APoor tissue binding with a small extracellular fluid distribution
- BRapidly renally excreted with zero order elimination
- CHighly protein bound with a very low volume of distribution
- DHighly lipophilic with a large volume of distributionCorrect answer
- ELarge and strongly charged with confinement to plasma
- FRapidly metabolized by hepatic phase I enzymes with minimal renal clearance
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