Pharmacology · patient case question
All of the following provide both sedation and analgesia EXCEPT:
Patient case: Caries management, sedation, tumours and ergonomics
Scenario: Five items.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Propofol
- A. Correct — this is the exception. Propofol is a pure sedative-hypnotic. It produces excellent sedation and amnesia but has no analgesic property, which is why it is paired with an opioid.
- B. Morphine is the reference opioid analgesic and is also sedating.
- C. Fentanyl is a potent short-acting opioid providing both analgesia and sedation.
- D. Nitrous oxide is both anxiolytic and genuinely analgesic — one of the few agents that reliably does both.
Note: Benzodiazepines belong with propofol on the no-analgesia side: they sedate and produce amnesia but do not relieve pain.