Which statement about volatile inhalation anesthetics is true?

• A. Hypertension is a common postoperative effect.
• B. They are rapidly metabolized, and postoperative pain may occur soon after surgery.
• C. Tachypnea is expected postoperatively.
• D. Myoclonia is common with inhaled agents.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how volatile inhalation anesthetics behave after surgery: they are removed from the body mainly through the lungs, with only a small portion metabolized by the liver. This means emergence from anesthesia is generally rapid as the driving agent is washed out by ventilation. These agents tend to produce dose-dependent cardiovascular depression (vasodilation leading to lower blood pressure) rather than hypertension, and they do not typically cause tachypnea as a standard postoperative expectation. Myoclonia is not a common feature of inhaled agents.

Among the statements, the one that aligns with clinical reality is that postoperative pain may occur soon after surgery. Pain is a result of tissue injury and the need for analgesia after the anesthetic effects wear off, which is independent of how much the agent was metabolized. The other listed effects aren’t characteristic of volatile inhalation anesthetics in the general sense.