Addiction Psychiatry Flashcards
Percentage of general population who drank alcohol in last week in UK
67% men
53% women
Percentage of adults who drank above recommended limits
55% men
53% women
Percentage of children 11-15 who had drunk alcohol at least once
43%
Percentage of patients who present to primary care that consume alcohol at a harmful level
20%
Annual prevalence of hazardous drinking in UK households
38% men
15% women
27% white adults
18% black adults
8% south asian asults
Peak age of hazardous drinking?
16-19 (women)
20-24 (men)
Definition of hazardous drinking
8 or more on AUDIT
Number of all hospital admissions that all alcohol related
1 in 16 hospital admissions
1 in 6 ED attencees
Age at first alcoholic drink
13-15
Age at first alcohol intoxication
15-17
Age at first problem related to alcohol
16-22
Age of death of people who are alcohol dependent
60
Alcohol use during pregnancy
1 in 10
% of adults in the UK 16-59 who took an illicit drug in the last year
8.3%
Popular recreational drugs in the UK
Cannabis 6.4%
Cocaine 1.9%
Ecstacy 1.3%
Percentage of adults 16-24 taking any drug in last year in the UK
16.3%
Percentage of adults 16-59 who had taken a Class A drug in last year
2.6%
Percentage of school pupils who took an illicit drug in last year in UK
12%
Percentage of drug users in last year who use multiple substances
61% if EtOH included
7% if not included
Most commonly reported age of first taking drugs
Cannabis - 16
Cocaine and Ecstacy - 18
Average duration of drug use
Cannabis - 6 years
Cocaine - 4.4 years
Ecstacy - 3.9 years
Which law classifies recreational drugs?
1971 Misuse of Drugs Act UK
Name the Class A drugs
Ecstasy
LSD
Heroin
Cocaine
Crack
Magic mushrooms
Methamphetamine
Other amphetamines if prepared for injection
Name the Class B drugs
Amphetamines
Methylphenidate
Pholcodine
Name the Class C drugs
Cannabis
Tranquilisers
Some painkillers
GHB
Ketamine
Who coined the term alcoholism?
Magnus Huss in 1865
What does harmful use mean in the ICD 10
Actual damage caused to drinker physically or mentally but no dependence pattern
ICD-10 alcohol dependence criteria
At least 3 of the following in last 12 months:
Intense desire to drink alcohol
Difficulty in controlling onset, termination and level of drinking
Withdrawal sx if alcohol not taken
Use of alcohol to relieve withdrawal sx
Tolerance as evidenced by need to escalate dose over time to achieve same effect
Salience
Narrowing personal repertoire of alcohol use
What is salience?
Neglecting alternate forms of leisure or pleasure in life
What is definition of abuse in DSM IV?
Maladaptive use defined as:
despite problems in social, occupational, physical or psychological domains
In hazardous situations
At least one moth, recurring over longer period usually
But not dependent on alcohol
Criteria for DSM IV alcohol dependence
At least 3 of the following lasting for a month
Consuming alcohol for longer period and in larger amounts than intended
Unsuccessful attempts to cut down
Experiencing withdrawal sx if alcohol not taken
Use of alcohol to relieve withdrawal sx
Tolerance - 50% increase from start
Salience
Failure in role obligations and physical health
Giving up alternate pleasures
Continued use despite knowing harm caused
Changes in alcohol & substance dependence criteria in DSM V
Combines DSM IV categories of substance abuse and dependence into Substance Use Disorder that is measured from mild (abuse) to severe (dependence).
Criteria for mild substance abuse disorder in DSM V
2-3 sx from list of 11
What has been added and removed to list of diagnostic features for substance abuse in DSM V?
Drug craving added
Legal problems removed
How has the topic of Addictive Disorders changed in dSM V?
Broader, encompassing non-substance addictions.
Gambling disorder added to behavioural addictions.
Internet Gambling and caffeine use disorder added to Section III
What is Section III of DSM V?
Disorders requiring further research before formal diagnostic description
Importance of the concept of dependence
Indicates intensity and predicts outcome
Who created the criteria for alcohol dependence
Edwards & Gross in 1976
What are the criteria for alcohol dependence?
Narrowed repertoire
Salience of alcohol-seeking behaviour
Increased tolerance
Repeated withdrawals
Drinking to prevent or relieve withdrawals
Subjective awareness of compulsion
Reinstatement after abstinence
What is neuroadaptation?
Term used to differentiate a certain state of dependence
Biological cause of tolerance
Increased excitability of neurons when using depressants
Is tolerance seen in benzos?
Not as much
Is tolerance seen in barbituates?
Yes
What is diminished tolerance due to in alcohol misuse?
When drinking alcohol after abstinence, tolerance may revert to normal and lead to quick intoxication
Older patients with brain damage may have reversed tolerance
Metabolic problems like liver disease may look like diminished tolerance
What is withdrawal?
Physical and psychological sx due to non-availability of alcohol in a dependent user
Significance of withdrawal
Opportunity towards permanent behaviour change
What is compulsion?
Repetitive intense drug seeking with an urge
What is craving?
Motivational state occurring in withdrawal
Who identified the components of craving?
Tiffany
What are the components of craving?
Urge/compulsion
Intention/plan
Expectation of satisfying outcome
Anticipation of decrease in pain/relief from negative effects
Loss of control
Explanations of reinstatement on relapse
Abstinence violation effect
Propensity to experience withdrawal sx may be carried through abstinence phase
Cues may trigger memory after priming dose
What is abstinence violation effect?
That cognition that ‘I had a drink, so I am a drinker’ may force patients to reinstate full pattern of drinking
How is impaired control explained?
Within a single episode of drinking, one loses his control on the intended amount of alcohol and ends up being intoxicated
Considering ones overall alcohol career it is evident that one tries to cut down repeatedly but fails
What does Cloninger divide alcohol misuse into?
Type 1
Type 2
What is Type 1 alcohol misuse
Milieu limited
Males and females
Loss of control
No FHx
No criminality
Starts >25 years
What is Type 2 alcohol misuse?
Males usually Inability to abstain Strong heritability Antisocial traits Starts <25 years
What is Jellineks classification of alcohol misuse?
Alpha
Beta
Gamma
Delta
Epsiln
What is Alpha alcohol misuse?
Psychological dependence
Undisciplined, not progressive
No Withdrawal
Major problems are inrerpersonal only
What is beta alcohol misuse?
Physical damage but no dependence
What is gamma alcohol misuse?
Loss of control plus physical dependence.
Withdrawal seen
Earlier stages similar to alpha
Who is gamma alcohol misuse commonly seen in?
AngloSaxons
What is Delta alcohol misuse?
No loss of control but unable to abstain
No disapproval or interpersonal problems
What is epsilon alcohol misuse?
Dipsomania - binges and bouts
Pharmacology of alcohol
Intercalates into fluid cell membrane
Decreases NMDA sensitivity
Increases GABA sensitivity
Down-regulates Ca channels
Up-regulates nicotine receptor gated Na channels
Males vs Females re pharmacology of alcohol
Females have lower body water, higher alcohol absorption rate and lesser alcohol dehydrogenase in gut mucosa
Thus, higher oral availability in females
When do features of alcohol withdrawal start?
Within 12 hours of last drink
Onset of shakes in alcohol withdrawal?
4-12 hours
Onset of perceptual disturbances in alcohol withdrawal?
8-12 hours
Seizure onset in alcohol withdrawal
12-24 hours
Peak of seizure onset in alcohol withdrawal
48 hours
Delirium onset in alcohol withdrawal
72 hours
Prominent sx of alcohol withdrawal
Tremor
Diaphoresis
Sleeplessness
Anxiety
GI distress
Increased urge and craving for alcohol
What is severity of sx of alcohol withdrawal related to?
Degree of pre-existent drinking
When do alcohol withdrawal sx peak if unattended?
48 hours
What types of seizures occur in alcohol withdrawal?
Grand mal
In which group of people are alcohol withdrawal seizures more likely?
Previous withdrawal seizures
Epilepsy
Head injury
Electrolyte imbalance
How many patients with alcohol withdrawal will get delirium tremens?
5%
What happens in delirium tremens?
Disturbed autonomic functions
Clouded consciousness with hallucinations
Agitation
What type of hallucinations tend to occur in delirium tremens?
Lilliputian
Incidence of seizures in untreated alcohol-dependent patients
8%
Risk of seizures in alcohol withdrawal if treated
3%
How does alcohol withdrawal lead to seizures?
Kindling process - episodic alcohol withdrawal sensitises brain leading to increased likelihood of seizure with each future episode
How many patients with withdrawal seizures go on to develop delirium tremens?
30%
Risk factors for delirium tremens and seizures
Severe dependence
Hx of delirium tremens
Older patient
Acute physical illness
How many patients in delirium tremens die if untreated>
10%
What does the term opiate refer to?
Natural opium alkaloids and semi-synthetics derived from the alkaloids
Most commonly used opioid
Heroin
How is heroin most commonly taken?
Smoking/chasing
Prevalence of heroin use in the UK
1%
M:F ratio of heroin use
2:1
Age of most treatment seekers of heroin misuse?
20s
Which receptors are relevant in opioid physiology
Mu
Kappa
Delta
All G-protein coupled
What is the most abused opioid in terms of receptors?
Mu agonist (morphine-like)
What do kappa agonists lead to?
Dysphoria
Decrease dopamine release in VTA
Oral bioavailability or morphine
30%
Half life of morphine
2-3 hours
How strong is parenteral morphine compared to PO?
3x stronger
Bioavailability of PO diamorphine
30%
Half life of diamorphine
<3 minutes
How much stronger is diamorphine compared to morphine?
4-5x stronger
PO bioavailability of methadone
80%
Half life of methadone
15-60 hours
How much stronger is methadone compared to morphine?
3-4x stronger
How can Buprenorphine be taken
S/L
Transdermal
Injected
Half-life of PO Buprenorphine
1-7 hours
Half-life of S/L buprenorphine
30 hours
Potency of Buprenorphine
40x more potent at receptor level
Partial agonist
Half life of Oxycodone
3-7 hours
Potency of oxycodone
5-7x more potent that morphine
How can pethidine be taken?
IV
Half life of codeine and pethidine
2-4
Potency of codeine
0.1-0.1x potent compared to morphine
Intoxication effects of opioids
Initial euphoria
Apathy & dysphoria follow
Psychomotor agitation/retardation
Pupillary constriction
Drowsiness/coma
Slurred speech
Impairment in attention and memory
When do opioid withdrawal sx start?
6-8 hours after last dose
When do opioid withdrawal sx peak?
2 days
What do opioid withdrawal sx start to reduce?
In a week
Withdrawal sx of opioids
Dysphoric mood Nausea/vomiting Muscle aches Lacrimation/rhinorrhoea Pupillary dilatation, piloerection, sweating Diarrhoea Yawning Fever Insomnia
Which withdrawal sx of opioids persist for months?
Insomnia
Bradycardia
Temperature dysregulation
Craving
What is cannabis obtained from?
The plan cannabis sativa
What is the principal component of cannabis?
9-THC
Describe the cannabinoid receptor
Gi linked receptor
What are endogenous cannabinoids called?
Anandamides
Where are cannabinoid receptors foind?
Basal ganglia
Hippocampus
Cerebellum
Sparsely in the cerebral cortex
Physiological effects of cannabis
Euphoric effects within minutes
When do euphoric effects of cannabis peak?
30 minutes