Bethanechol clinical use after surgery?

• A. Used for hypertension
• B. Used for xerostomia
• C. Used for open-angle glaucoma
• D. Used after surgery to stimulate GI motility and to treat urinary retention

Answer: (D)

Bethanechol is a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, so it stimulates smooth muscle activity in areas like the GI tract and bladder. After surgery, patients commonly experience reduced bowel motility (ileus) and difficulty urinating due to anesthesia and manipulation of organs. By activating muscarinic receptors, bethanechol increases GI motility and promotes detrusor muscle contraction, helping to move contents through the intestines and empty the bladder. That makes it the best choice for post-op stimulation of GI motility and relief of urinary retention. The other options don’t fit because hypertension is not treated by a cholinergic stimulant of gut and bladder, xerostomia is usually addressed with agents that specifically increase salivation, and open-angle glaucoma is managed by drugs that reduce intraocular pressure, not by bethanechol’s actions.