Which of the following are features of alfaxalone?

• A. IM, IV administration with less cardiovascular depression and lower incidence of apnea
• B. Oral administration with marked cardiovascular depression
• C. Intranasal administration with high risk of apnea
• D. IV only with prolonged respiratory depression

Answer: (A)

Alfaxalone is a short-acting injectable anesthetic that can be given by intramuscular or intravenous routes. It tends to preserve cardiovascular function and has a lower incidence of apnea compared with many other induction agents when used appropriately, especially with IM dosing or carefully titrated IV dosing. This makes the description of IM or IV administration with less cardiovascular depression and lower apnea risk the most accurate. Oral administration isn’t used clinically due to poor bioavailability, intranasal administration isn’t a standard route and carries higher apnea risk, and describing it as IV-only with prolonged respiratory depression doesn’t match its generally favorable respiratory safety profile.