Question

All are true regarding serotonin syndrome EXCEPT?

• A. It is not idiosyncratic and unpredictable
• B. Dantrolene is the drug of choice
• C. It can be caused by SSRIs
• D. Features include hyperthermia and hypertension

Hint:

The antidote here is cyproheptadine; dantrolene belongs to another hyperthermia syndrome.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Each statement is checked against the established profile of serotonin syndrome to spot the wrong one. The condition arises in a dose-dependent, foreseeable manner from too much serotonergic stimulation, so calling it predictable rather than idiosyncratic is correct. The pharmacological antidote of choice is cyproheptadine, a blocker of serotonin receptors, which is given together with stopping the trigger drug and supportive cooling and sedation. Dantrolene, by contrast, is the agent reserved for malignant hyperthermia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome, so naming it the drug of choice here is the false claim and hence the answer. The remaining statements stand: SSRIs are a leading cause of the syndrome, and the picture indeed includes high temperature and raised blood pressure as part of the autonomic disturbance. The statement that does not fit is the one nominating dantrolene as first-line treatment.\[\boxed{\text{Dantrolene is the drug of choice}}\]