Paper I — 2024 December (Supplementary) (2019 Scheme) — Qxx
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Paper I
2024 December (Supplementary) (2019 Scheme) · 100 marks · 180 min
Question
Assertion (A): Codeine is the preferred antitussive in asthmatics and patients with
diminished respiratory reserve.
Reason (R): Codeine is an opium alkaloid and suppresses cough center.
a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
b) Both A and R are true, and R is not the correct explanation of A
c) A is true, but R is false
d) A is false, but R is true
Qxx1 marksMCQs
Answer
Correct answer: d) A is false, but R is true
A is false — codeine, an opioid, is generally avoided (not preferred) in asthmatics and patients with diminished respiratory reserve, given the risk of further respiratory depression and drying/thickening of secretions; a non-opioid antitussive such as dextromethorphan is preferred in this population. R is factually true: codeine is indeed an opium alkaloid that suppresses the medullary cough centre — but this correct mechanism does not make codeine the preferred choice in a patient where opioid-related respiratory depression is a specific concern.
