Which is not an analgesic drug?

Appeared in: SGPGI Nursing Officer-2022

Explanation

Propofol is a short-acting intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent.
Its primary function is to induce and maintain general anesthesia or to provide sedation for procedures.
Crucially, Propofol does not possess intrinsic analgesic (pain-relieving) properties.
For any procedure that is expected to cause pain, a separate analgesic agent (like an opioid or NSAID) must be co-administered to ensure patient comfort.

Option A: Acetaminophen is a well-known analgesic and antipyretic used for treating mild to moderate pain.
Option B: Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid analgesic, primarily used for managing severe acute or chronic pain.
Option D: Ketorolac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with potent analgesic properties, often used for short-term management of moderate to severe pain, especially post-operatively.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Pharmacological classification of analgesics and anesthetics helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
It is a critical patient safety issue for nurses to understand that sedation is not the same as analgesia. A sedated patient can still feel pain.
When administering Propofol for a potentially painful procedure, the nurse must anticipate the need for and administer prescribed analgesics to prevent patient suffering.
Monitoring for signs of pain (e.g., tachycardia, hypertension, grimacing) is essential in sedated patients who cannot verbally report their discomfort.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term and the modifier in the question: "analgesic drug" and "not". This means you are looking for the one option that does not relieve pain.
Go through each option and classify it based on its primary pharmacological action.
Option A, Acetaminophen: Recall that this is a common over-the-counter pain and fever reducer. It is an analgesic. Eliminate it.
Option B, Fentanyl: Recall that this is a strong opioid used for severe pain. It is an analgesic. Eliminate it.
Option C, Propofol: Recall that this is the 'milk of amnesia' used to put people to sleep for surgery. Its primary role is sedation and anesthesia, not pain relief. This is a likely candidate.
Option D, Ketorolac: Recall that this is a powerful NSAID, often given after surgery for pain. It is an analgesic. Eliminate it.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Pharmacological classification of analgesics and anesthetics.
Stem keywords: analgesic drug
Lead-in keywords: not
Negative lead-in flag: The question asks to identify the option that is NOT an analgesic, requiring elimination of the drugs that do provide pain relief.

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E6 Pharmacology Katzung 16e p. 1025-1027

E6 Pharmacology Nursing Lilley 11e Part 1 p. 169-171

E6 Pharmacology KD Tripathi Essentials 9e Part 2 p. 58-60

Practise the full SGPGI Nursing Officer-2022

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.