Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

Which type of drug causes a loss of feeling or awareness of pain?

1. Antibiotic

2. Analgesic

3. Anesthetic

4. Anti-inflammatory

The correct answer is: Anesthetic

An anesthetic is the correct answer because this type of drug is specifically designed to induce a loss of sensation, including pain awareness, in patients. Anesthetics work by blocking nerve signals in the nervous system, which prevents the brain from receiving pain signals from the body. This effect is essential during surgical procedures and other medical interventions where a complete lack of sensation is necessary to ensure patient comfort and safety. In contrast, antibiotics are used to fight bacterial infections, analgesics primarily relieve pain without necessarily causing a loss of sensation (such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen), and anti-inflammatory drugs work to reduce inflammation. While analgesics manage pain, they do not induce a complete loss of feeling or sensation like anesthetics do. Thus, anesthetics are particularly unique in their ability to affect awareness and sensation directly, making them essential for certain medical scenarios.