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Anesthesia Trivia Quiz

When you have an operation, you are given an anesthetic to stop you feeling pain. Are you awake enough to handle this quiz?

A multiple-choice quiz by AlexxSchneider. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
AlexxSchneider

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
308,338

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1625

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. At the beginning of the 19th century, as Humphry Davy described this gas as "capable of destroying physical pain", people had discovered that inhaling small amounts of it created pleasant sensations. Which gas am I talking about? Hint

Nitrous oxide

Oxygen

Ether

Carbon Dioxide

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Question 2 of 10

2. What happened when a dentist from Connecticut, Dr. Horace Wells, publicly demonstrated the use of nitrous oxide? Hint

As the tooth was being pulled out, the patient screamed in pain and Wells fled to the sound of boos.

Dr. Wells never demonstrated this in public.

The demonstration was successful and the patient felt no pain.

The patient died after breathing in too much gas.

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Question 3 of 10

3. Who coined the term "anesthesia"? Hint

Humphry Davy

Oliver Wendell Holmes

George Washington

Michael Faraday

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Question 4 of 10

4. What language does anesthesia come from and what does it mean? Hint

Latin; "no pain"

Greek; "loss of feeling"

French; "I am not aware"

Greek; "numbing of the soul"

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which queen took chloroform for pain relief during delivery of her seventh child? Hint

Queen Victoria

Mary, Queen of Scots

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth I

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Question 6 of 10

6. What is the main difference between a general and a local anesthetic? Hint

General anesthetic is easier to administer.

General anesthetic affects only the part of the body to be operated on; local affects whole body causing unconsciousness.

General anesthetic affects whole body causing unconsciousness; local affects only the part of the body to be operated on.

There is no difference.

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Question 7 of 10

7. Novocain is a local anesthetic.

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

8. Although anesthetics are the drugs which act chemically on the body's nerves, there are other ways to produce anesthesia. Which one of these methods can create anesthesia? Hint

Putting the affected area under warm water.

Going to sleep.

Putting pressure on the affected area.

Lowering the temperature of the affected part of the body by packing it in crushed ice.

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Question 9 of 10

9. Acupuncture is also a method of anesthesia where very fine needles are inserted underneath the skin and twirled around rapidly. Where in the world was this method developed? Hint

China

Thailand

Japan

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Question 10 of 10

10. Hypnosis can be used in major operations as an anesthetic.

True

False

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Nitrous oxide

Although it was 1799 when Davy had described nitrous oxide so, several years passed before it was ever used as an anesthetic. People did discover the similar effects of ether in the 1840s, and held "ether frolics", which helped introduce doctors and medical students to these gases.

2. What happened when a dentist from Connecticut, Dr. Horace Wells, publicly demonstrated the use of nitrous oxide?

Answer: As the tooth was being pulled out, the patient screamed in pain and Wells fled to the sound of boos.

Wells was not successful, and probably ruined his public career, but his former partner, William T. G. Morton, found success using ether, which was a suggestion from a Charles T. Jackson from Harvard Medical School. After Morton had tried ether on animals (including his own dog!) and then on himself, he demonstrated this successfully in front of a group of doctors and students on October 16 at Massachusetts General Hospital.

3. Who coined the term "anesthesia"?

Answer: Oliver Wendell Holmes

Holmes was an American doctor and poet. He applied the term "anesthesia" to the condition specifically caused by ether.

4. What language does anesthesia come from and what does it mean?

Answer: Greek; "loss of feeling"

Latin for "no pain" is nullus dolor, French for "I am not aware" is the rather wordy Je ne me rends pas compte. �� is the closest I could get to numbing of the soul in Greek. I think it says numbness instead. Feel free to contact me if it is totally wrong!

5. Which queen took chloroform for pain relief during delivery of her seventh child?

Answer: Queen Victoria

That was in 1853.Chloroform became very popular afterwards, however, nowadays it is rarely used.

6. What is the main difference between a general and a local anesthetic?

Answer: General anesthetic affects whole body causing unconsciousness; local affects only the part of the body to be operated on.

During general anesthetic, the anesthetic first enters the bloodstream, and travels in the blood to the CNS (central nervous system). There it acts on the brain's nerve cells, causing them to lose the ability to send and receive messages. The patient falls unconscious, and can feel no sensation.

A local anesthetic blocks nerves at the area to be operated on. It can either be applied to the surface of the body, which affects the nerve endings in the skin, or injected with a needle, which blocks nerve impulses from the brain.

7. Novocain is a local anesthetic.

Answer: True

Novocain is the trade name for procaine hydrochloride. As it is a local anesthetic, it is injected into the area of pain.

8. Although anesthetics are the drugs which act chemically on the body's nerves, there are other ways to produce anesthesia. Which one of these methods can create anesthesia?

Answer: Lowering the temperature of the affected part of the body by packing it in crushed ice.

Sensation is dulled in the affected area as temperature decreases. Ethyl chloride can be sprayed on the area to create the same effects. An operation, albeit a small one, can be performed if this is done.

9. Acupuncture is also a method of anesthesia where very fine needles are inserted underneath the skin and twirled around rapidly. Where in the world was this method developed?

Answer: China

Acupuncture is still routinely used in place of or in addition to convential anesthesia in China. The patient is conscious and relaxed, and is spared the aftereffects of chemical anesthetics. There are hundreds of acupuncture points on the body.

10. Hypnosis can be used in major operations as an anesthetic.

Answer: True

This is a very old method of anesthesia, used before chemical methods were developed. It was very effective, and is still used today as an aid or alternative to anesthesia using chemicals. However it is not successful on everyone.

I hope you had fun doing my quiz!

Source: Author AlexxSchneider

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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