Question

A patient is given a parasympathetic antagonist during surgery. Which would you expect?

1) Increased saliva
2) No change in saliva, because saliva is regulated by somatic motor neurons.
3) Decreased saliva
4) Drooling

Answer 1

When a parasympathetic antagonist is administered to a patient, it results in decreased saliva production because the parasympathetic nervous system's role in stimulating salivation is inhibited.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient is given a parasympathetic antagonist during surgery, the expected outcome would be decreased saliva production. Parasympathetic stimulation is responsible for the maintenance of salivation, aiding in activities like speaking, swallowing, and keeping the mouth comfortably moist. Blocking the parasympathetic nervous system with an antagonist will therefore reduce the secretion of saliva, leading to a drier mouth, commonly experienced as a symptom of dry mouth or xerostomia.

During surgery, the use of anesthetics and medications that affect the autonomic nervous system can alter the body's normal homeostatic controls, including those that regulate salivation. The drugs used for anesthesia may relax muscles and inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in decreased salivation. Therefore, the correct answer to the initial question is option 3) Decreased saliva.