Alcohol Flashcards

1
Q

What is ethanol?

A

CH3CH2OH, alcohol
Colourless, volatile liquid
Also found in many other products e.g. perfume, mouthwash

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2
Q

What are the effects of 20mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood?

A

Disinhibition- euphoria, emotional, instability and release of social and sexual inhibitions, loss of judgment

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3
Q

What are the effects of 80mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood

A

Above effects become pronounced and motor coordination becomes affected and there is a marked effect on judgement

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4
Q

What are the effects of 200mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood

A

Motor coordination is progressively lost and speech becomes slurred

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5
Q

What are the effects of 300mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood

A

Unconsciousness

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6
Q

What are the effects of 400mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood

A

Death from respiratory failure

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7
Q

What is the highest level of blood alcohol ever seen?

A

628mg/100mL of blood

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8
Q

What is pharmacokinetics of alcohol?

A

Pharmo (drugs) kinetics (movement)- i.e. movement of drugs around the body

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9
Q

Where is alcohol rapidly absorbed?

A

Mouth, lungs, stomach and small intestine

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10
Q

Where is alcohol absorbed if drinking about 20%?

A

Stomach and rest of small intestine (peak blood concentration in 30-60 minutes)

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11
Q

Where is alcohol cleared from?

A

Predominantly by metabolism in the liver

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12
Q

Why does fizzy/gassy alcohol get you drunker quicker?

A

Alcohol is inhaled into the lungs

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13
Q

What causes a hangover?

A

Ethanal

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14
Q

What does alcohol metabolise to?

A

CH3CH2OH + NAD+ -> CH3CHO + NADH

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15
Q

What is clearance of alcohol?

A

Zero order (alcohol clears at a constant rate) i.e. ethanol cleared at a constant rate regardless of concentration

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16
Q

What is an Intoximeter (IR/EC)

A

Detection of alcohol in expired air

Detects mouth alcohol and interfering substances

17
Q

What does an Intoximeter measure?

A

Lung alcohol concentration

18
Q

How is alcohol content in blood measured?

A

Usually gas chromatography of extracted blood sample with IR/EC detector

19
Q

What does IR stand for?

A

Infra Red

20
Q

What does EC stand for?

A

Electron Capture- specifically picks up alcohol

21
Q

What is the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 4 (1)?

A

Driving a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs

22
Q

What is the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 4 (2)?

A

Being in charge of a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs
Field Impairment test shows nothing about the ability to drive

23
Q

What is the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 5 (1)(a)?

A

Driving a motor vehicle after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion in breath or blood was >22 microgrammes per 100mL of breath, >50 milligrammes per 100mL of blood or >69 milligrammes of alcohol in 100mL of urine.

24
Q

What is the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 5 (1)(b)?

A

Being in charge of a motor vehicle after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion in breath or blood was >35 microgrammes per 100mL of breath, >80 milligrammes per 100mL of blood or > 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100mL of urine.

25
Q

What is the procedure when it comes to drink driving?

A

Police stop suspect- accident or other road traffic offence
Detect alcohol (smell)
Roadside breath test
If positive, arrest and take to Police Office
Intoximeter procedure

26
Q

If the intoximeter is <40 what do you do?

A

Release without charge

27
Q

If the intoximeter is >50 what do you do?

A

Charge

28
Q

If the intoximeter is between 40-50 what do you do?

A

Take blood/urine sample

29
Q

What is statutory defence?

A

In which a party cannot be shown to have acted purposely, knowingly, recklessly, or negligently as the law may require, with respect to each material element of the offence.

30
Q

What is a statutory defence in drink drive cases?

A

No intention to drive need calculation of when subject would fall below the statutory limit

31
Q

What are the lines of defence in drink driving cases?

A

Section 4 & 5- statutory defence

Post-incidence drinking

32
Q

How can post-incidence drinking be a defence?

A

Drink after the events been occurred

E.g. Have hip flask in car, be pulled over and then take a drink before the police speak to you

33
Q

How can section 5 be used as a defence?

A

Spiked drinks
Calculations required to verify evidence
How are calculations done

34
Q

How are calculations of alcohol concentration calculated?

A

Height and weight of subject Amount of alcohol consumed (type and volume) When alcohol consumed (important is START TIME) Intoximeter and/or blood sample readings
What times values needed for

35
Q

What is the difference in gender between uptake and clearance of alcohol?

A

There is no difference between males and females