Anesthesia Pharm Exam 1 Practice

Etomidate is cleared from the body very quickly because two processes actively inactivate it: hepatic metabolism via cytochrome P450 enzymes and rapid hydrolysis by plasma esterases. The liver oxidizes etomidate through P450 pathways, while esterases in the plasma cleave the ester bond to form inactive carboxylate products. This combination leads to a very short duration of action and minimal reliance on renal excretion for elimination. The other options don’t fit because kidney excretion is not the primary route, the lungs don’t play a major metabolic role, and muscle enzymes aren’t involved in its clearance.