Which phase of anesthesia is focused on keeping the patient comfortable and stable?

• A. Maintenance
• B. MAC
• C. GETA
• D. NPO

Answer: (A)

The phase being tested is where the goal is to keep the patient asleep, comfortable, and his or her vital signs stable throughout the operation. After induction and airway control, the maintenance phase continuously preserves the appropriate depth of anesthesia, ensures adequate ventilation and oxygenation, and provides analgesia and hemodynamic stability. The anesthesiologist adjusts drugs and fluids as needed to prevent awareness, pain, or instability as the surgical conditions change. That ongoing, controlled support is what makes this phase about comfort and stability.

Options that aren’t a phase include terms like MAC, which is a measure of the potency of an inhaled anesthetic rather than a stage of care; GETA refers to the overall state of general anesthesia with airway management rather than a distinct phase; and NPO is simply a preoperative instruction about not eating or drinking.