Minimum alveolar concentration in children is best described by:
a) The lowest detectable level of anesthetic in the alveoli
b) The dose of anesthetic at which most patients will not move with incision
c) The dose (in the absence of any other agents) at which half of patients will
move with incision
d) The combined effects of opiates, neuromuscular blocking agents, and
inhalational agents on the brain
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Answer
Answer c.
MAC is defined as the dose at which 50% of patients will not move
(and 50% will move) with surgical stimulation/incision, in the absence of any
other medications that may affect this response. Interestingly, while MAC is
additive in adults, in children only isoflurane demonstrates this phenomenon.
Notes
- This question originally printed in the Pediatric Anesthesiology Review Topics kindle book series, and appears courtesy of Naerthwyn Press, LLC.
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