A serious complication associated with tribromoethanol is which?

A serious complication associated with tribromoethanol is which?

• A. It can cause anxiety upon recovery.
• B. It causes kidney damage.
• C. It can cause cardiac arrest in older rodents.
• D. It can cause intestinal ileus.

Answer: (D)

Tribromoethanol is an older anesthetic with a narrow safety margin and notable tissue-irritant properties, especially when given intraperitoneally. A serious and well-documented complication after its use is intestinal ileus, where the GI tract slows or stops moving due to peritoneal irritation and anesthesia-related hypomotility. This makes ileus the best choice because it directly reflects the drug’s irritant effects on the abdomen and its impact on gut motility during recovery. Other options—anxiety on recovery, kidney damage, or cardiac arrest in older rodents—are not the classic or most characteristic complications associated with tribromoethanol.

Tribromoethanol is an older anesthetic with a narrow safety margin and notable tissue-irritant properties, especially when given intraperitoneally. A serious and well-documented complication after its use is intestinal ileus, where the GI tract slows or stops moving due to peritoneal irritation and anesthesia-related hypomotility. This makes ileus the best choice because it directly reflects the drug’s irritant effects on the abdomen and its impact on gut motility during recovery. Other options—anxiety on recovery, kidney damage, or cardiac arrest in older rodents—are not the classic or most characteristic complications associated with tribromoethanol.