Which statement best differentiates balanced anesthesia from TIVA?

• A. Balanced uses inhaled and IV agents
• B. TIVA uses only IV agents
• C. Balanced uses only IV agents
• D. TIVA uses inhaled and IV agents

Answer: (B)

Balanced anesthesia achieves anesthesia by combining several drugs, usually including both an inhaled volatile agent and intravenous medications like hypnotics, opioids, and muscle relaxants, to get hypnosis, analgesia, and muscle relaxation with good control. Total Intravenous Anesthesia (TIVA) uses only intravenous drugs to reach the anesthetic state, avoiding inhaled agents entirely. That makes the distinguishing feature clear: TIVA is IV-only, while balanced anesthesia relies on both inhaled and IV components. The other statements either describe balanced as using both routes (true but not the differentiator) or misstate TIVA as involving inhaled agents (incorrect).