VB
Vikas Bhardwaj
Medical Technologist, AIIMS New Delhi
Updated: Apr 17, 2026
**Core Concept**
Inhalation anesthetic agents are used for general anesthesia, with properties like potency, blood-gas partition coefficient, and cardiodepressant effects influencing their clinical use. Potency is often measured by the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), which is the concentration of anesthetic required to prevent movement in 50% of patients in response to a surgical stimulus.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Sevoflurane and isoflurane are both commonly used inhalation anesthetics. Sevoflurane is indeed more potent than isoflurane, as it has a lower MAC. This means less sevoflurane is required to achieve the same level of anesthesia compared to isoflurane. Additionally, sevoflurane is less cardiodepressant than isoflurane, making it a safer choice for patients with cardiovascular disease. The blood-gas partition coefficient for anesthetic agents affects the speed of induction and recovery; desflurane has a lower blood-gas partition coefficient than sevoflurane, leading to faster induction and recovery.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** Sevoflurane is indeed more potent than isoflurane, so this statement is correct. This option is incorrect.
**Option B:** Sevoflurane is indeed less cardiodepressant than isoflurane, making this statement correct. This option is incorrect.
**Option C:** Desflurane indeed has a lower blood-gas partition coefficient than sevoflurane, making this statement correct. This option is incorrect.
**Option D:** Sevoflurane has a lower MAC than isoflurane, not a higher MAC. This makes this statement incorrect.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
When choosing an inhalation anesthetic, the MAC and blood-gas partition coefficient should be considered to determine the optimal agent for the patient. This will help minimize cardiodepression and ensure a smooth induction and recovery.
**Correct Answer:** D. Sevoflurane has a higher MAC than isoflurane.