Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

Some anesthetic drugs are in liquid form and poured into a vaporizer chamber, then administered by which route?

1. Inhalation

2. Injection

3. Topical application

4. Intravenous

The correct answer is: Inhalation

The correct answer is inhalation because anesthetic drugs in liquid form are vaporized in a vaporizer chamber to be converted into a gas. This gas is then administered to the animal through the respiratory system. Inhalation is a common route for delivering anesthetic agents as it allows rapid absorption into the bloodstream through the alveoli of the lungs, facilitating quick onset of anesthesia. This method is particularly useful in veterinary medicine for both small and large animals, providing a controllable and reversible means of sedation or anesthesia. Other routes such as injection and intravenous delivery involve directly administering the drug into the bloodstream or tissues, which is not applicable when using a vaporizer that specifically utilizes the inhalation route. Topical application involves applying a substance directly to a surface, which is not suitable for anesthetic agents meant for systemic effects via inhalation. Thus, inhalation is the clear choice for the administration of vaporized anesthetics.