Syllabus · Historical · V4 (2023) · Nervous System – Including Pain
K2 · Pharmacology Related to the Nervous System
K2.i · Pharmacology Related to the Nervous System
Understand the pharmacology of sedating drugs.
Written examination
SAQ history
Anaesthetic Pharmacology — Dexmedetomidine vs Ketamine
1 exam appearance
Anaesthetic Pharmacology — Ketamine vs Midazolam
1 exam appearance
Anaesthetic Pharmacology — Propofol vs Ketamine
1 exam appearance
Compare and contrast the cardiovascular effects of an induction dose of Propofol and ketamine.
29%
Ketamine — NMDA & Pharmacology
2 exam appearances
Outline the structure and function of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (25% marks). Discuss the pharmacology of ketamine (75% marks).
74%
Describe the physiology of the NMDA (N-Methyl D-aspartate) receptor (40% of marks). Outline the pharmacology of ketamine (60% of marks).
49%
Midazolam vs. Dexmedetomidine
2 exam appearances
Compare and contrast the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of midazolam and dexmedetomidine.
27%
Compare and contrast the pharmacology of midazolam and dexmedetomidine when used for sedation.
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Neuropharmacology — Haloperidol vs Diazepam
1 exam appearance
Propofol vs Ketamine — Adverse Effects
1 exam appearance
Sedatives — Dexmedetomidine vs Propofol
1 exam appearance
Sedatives — Ideal Sedative
2 exam appearances
Describe the ideal sedative agent for an Intensive Care patient (50% of marks). How does midazolam compare to this (50% of marks)?
60%
Outline the pharmacological properties of an ideal agent for sedating patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in intensive care (50% of marks). Describe how propofol compares to the ‘ideal’ agent (50% of marks).
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Sedatives — Midazolam
1 exam appearance
Sedatives — Propofol
3 exam appearances
Sedatives — Propofol vs Midazolam
1 exam appearance
Oral examination
VIVA history
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2026A · VIVA 7
Relevant examiner prompt
A patient has been on a 3-day infusion of propofol and fentanyl. Explain what happens to the plasma concentrations after the infusions are ceased?
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2025B · VIVA 6
This viva will examine neuropharmacology. Describe the desirable and undesirable pharmacological properties of ketamine when used to intubate frail elderly people in the ICU?
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2021B · Day 1 · VIVA 4
This viva will assess your knowledge of sedative pharmacology. Describe the pharmaceutics of propofol.
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2021B · Day 2 · VIVA 3
This viva will assess your knowledge on thiopentone pharmacology. Why does thiopentone have a rapid onset of action?
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2021A · Day 2 · VIVA 1
This viva will explore your knowledge of propofol pharmacology. What is in an ampoule or bottle of propofol?
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2020B · Day 2 · VIVA 8
This viva will explore your knowledge of midazolam and the actions of benzodiazepines. What is midazolam? What are some of the effects of midazolam?
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2020B · Day 4 · VIVA 4
This viva will explore your knowledge of GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) signalling. Can you outline the pharmaceutics of propofol?
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2019B · Day 1 · VIVA 2
This viva will explore the rate of administration on pharmacodynamics of sedative drugs. Would you anticipate a different response to an IV bolus of 100 mg of propofol versus a slow infusion of the same dose over 5 minutes?
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2017A · Day 2 · VIVA 3
This viva will examine the pharmacology of propofol and ketamine. What is the mechanism of action of propofol?
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2016B · Day 1 · VIVA 2
This viva tested knowledge related to cholinergic receptors. The pharmacology of Atropine was specifically discussed. The second part of the viva discussed the pharmacology of propofol including rationale for its use in ICU, contents of the ampoule and adverse effects.
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2016B · Day 1 · VIVA 5
This viva covered cerebral physiology and related pharmacology including factors that influence cerebral blood flow and the related pharmacology of propofol and ketamine.
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2016A · Day 1 · VIVA 5
This viva covered cerebral physiology and related pharmacology including factors that influence cerebral blood flow and the related pharmacology of propofol and ketamine.
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2014A · VIVA 3
This Viva tested knowledge on the pharmacology of propofol. It explored mechanism of action, pharmaceutics, basic pharmacokinetics for bolus dosing and infusions and side effects.
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2012B · VIVA 6
This Viva will examine knowledge of Cerebral Blood Flow. What are the determinants of Cerebral Blood Flow? Subsequent discussion involved physiology of Cerebral Blood Flow, its regulation and the pharmacology of propofol.
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2012B · VIVA 8
This Viva will examine knowledge of the pharmacology of commonly used sedatives and their effects on Respiratory and CNS physiology. List the properties of an ideal sedative drug in Intensive Care? Subsequent discussion involved pharmacology of midazolam, how it compares to haloperidol, an understanding of the term “neuroleptic”, respiratory physiological response to sedation and the principles of the EEG.
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2012A · VIVA 8
This Viva will examine your knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of thiopentone. What factors determine how quickly a patient becomes unconscious with an induction dose of thiopentone? Subsequent questions explored knowledge of serum concentration vs time curves and the information derived from them, volume of distribution (factors that affect it and how it is measured), clearance (definition, calculation, relationship to volume of distribution), elimination (first and zero order) and half-life.
Sources: objective text from the relevant CICM syllabus; historical SAQ and VIVA wording from CICM examiner reports.