Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN) Practice Exam 2026 - Free CPAN Practice Questions and Study Guide

Benzodiazepines can modify the dissociative state attributed to ketamine anesthesia by acting as central nervous system depressants, which provide anxiolytic and sedative effects. Ketamine is known for inducing a unique dissociative state characterized by a sense of separation from the body and environment, which can be disconcerting for some patients. By administering benzodiazepines, the sedative properties help to smooth out the experience for the patient, alleviating anxiety and potentially reducing the intensity of the dissociative effects that ketamine can produce.

The other options, while they may influence the overall state of a patient under anesthesia, are not specifically known for modifying the dissociative effects of ketamine in the same manner. Antiarrhythmics primarily focus on managing heart rhythms and do not directly affect consciousness or dissociative states. Narcotics are more analgesic in nature and can provide pain relief, but they do not have the sedative capabilities that benzodiazepines do. Anticonvulsants are used primarily to prevent seizures and may have some sedative properties, but they lack the targeted anxiolytic effects associated with benzodiazepines that can be beneficial in modifying the experience of ketamine anesthesia.