Question:medium
Administration of which of the following drugs requires alkalinization of urine?
Administration of which of the following drugs requires alkalinization of urine?
Show Hint
Think of the drug that crystallises in acidic renal tubules during high-dose therapy.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Cytosine arabinoside
- Methotrexate
- Cisplatin
- Ifosfamide
Show Solution
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The clue here is the protective measure of raising urine pH, which is used for drugs whose solubility falls sharply in acidic urine. Methotrexate is the classic example: at high doses it tends to crystallise inside the renal tubules, and this crystallisation is pH dependent, being far worse when the urine is acidic. The standard nephroprotection bundle therefore combines generous intravenous fluids with sodium bicarbonate so that urine pH is pushed above 7, keeping the drug and its metabolite dissolved. Looking at the other agents, cytarabine has no such requirement, cisplatin nephrotoxicity is countered chiefly by saline hydration and forced diuresis rather than alkali, and ifosfamide bladder toxicity is prevented by co-administering mesna. Hence the single drug whose safe delivery hinges on alkalinising the urine is Methotrexate.\[\boxed{\text{Methotrexate}}\]
Was this answer helpful?
0
