Alcohol Flashcards
What is the treatment for methanol poisoning?
Give regular alcohol and dialysis as it is a competitive inhibitor working on alcohol dehydrogenase to avoid making formic acid.
What is the weekly recommended limit for alcohol
14 units
What is the main absorption site for alcohol? Why?
Small bowel due to alcohol dehydrogenase present in high quantities
What are some of the ways to delay the effects of alcohol? Why?
Eating food, as it delays gastric emptying into the bowel
Drinking shots as it irritates the gastric mucosa so delays emptying
What are some of the ways to increase alcohol absorption/ get drunk quickest
Antihistamines/metaclopramide increse gastric emptying
Champagne, sherries, mixing so less irritating to gastric mucosa
Drinking on empty stomach
20-30% alcohol best absorption
Name the two enzymes that catalyse the reaction of
alcohol (1)->acetaldehyde (2)-> acetate +co2 + H20
1- alcohol dehydrogenase
2- aldehyde dehydrogenase
What metabolite of alcohol metabolism causes hangovers effects?
Acetaldehyde
Where is acetaldehyde mainly metabolised? And at what rate is it eliminated
Liver main
Pancreas little
Generally 1 unit an hour
By what mechanisms is tolerance increased for alcohol?
Induction of CP450 pathway (electron transport chain)
Microsomal enzyme oxidase system (MEOS) that upregulates alcohol dehydrogenase
What are some of the consequences of the MEOS system?
Inhibits the krebs cycle so low energy and build up of H+ ions causing lactic acid build up
Inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis
Fatty acid oxidation impaired so increased ketogenesis, lipid synthesis
Treatments for alcohol abusers?how work?
Antabuse medication- inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase so acetaldehyde accumulates making hangovers horrendous and effects worse. Works as a deterrent
Name some of the structures in the CNS that are affected by alcohol
Reticular formation Cerebellum Limbic system Lower brain stem Cortex Pituitary gland producing ADH
Effects of alcohol on the function of the cortex in the CNS?
Disinhibition (lack of restraint for social conventions)
Talkativenesss
Anxiolytic (reducing anxiety)
Effects of alcohol on the function of the limbic system in the CNS?
Memory loss, confusion, disorientation
Describe the events how alcohol makes you pee more
Inhibits ADH that causes water reabsorption in the kidneys and so concentrates urine
What is holiday heart syndrome
Supraventricular tachycardia due to excess alcohol/ food
What is veisalgia cephalgia?
Headaches
What would the results of LFTs in alcoholic steatosis(hepatitis)
Increase in ALT, AST and GGT
NOT ALP
Decrease in albumin
What are some common risk factors for chronic pancreatitis?
Alcohol
Idiopathic
Gallstones
Child presents with neurological symptoms, keiser flesher rings and there is copper deposits in his pancreas. Diagnosis?
Wilsons disease
Man presents with fatigue, weight loss, erectile dysfunction, joint pain. Blood tests taken and pearl stain is positive. Diagnosis? Treatment>
Haemochromatosis
Venosection
Name some common signs of chronic alcoholism on general exam
Palmar erythema (due to increased oestrogen from liver cirrhosis) Duputrens contracture Caput medusae (from portal hypertension from liver cirrhosis) Spider naevi (same as above)
What is the cause of dupuytrens contracture? What other conditions is it indicitive of?
Fibrosis of the palmar fascia
Anti-epileptic meds, diabetics
What are some of the consequences of thiamine deficiency ?
Maintains peripheral and autonomic nerves SO can get
- lost sensation in arms/legs
- wernicke-korsakoffs syndrome (confusion, shaky gait, odd eye movements, disorientation)
- wet beri beri syndrome (leading to cardiomyopathy)
What is wenicke-korsakoffs syndrome?
Due to lack of thiamine there is a shaky gait, ophthalmoplegia (paralysed muscles of eye), confusion, disorientation, memory loss
Lack of thiamine due to poor nutrition in alcoholics
Man presents with aspiration pneumonia, what most likely lobe would be affected
Inferior right lobe due to branch bring vertical
What is wet beri beri syndrome?
Affects the cardiovascular system due to lack of thiamine, causing heart failure, weakened capillary walls
Man presents with chronic alcoholism, breathlessness, peripheral oedema, and on examination high HR and JVP. Diagnosis?
Dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to wet beriberi from low thiamine
What are the mechanisms causing fatty liver disease
More free fatty acids taken to the liver
NAD converted to NADG by alcohol allowing lipid synthesis
Mitochondrial oxidation of the fatty acids reduced
Reduced cell tubulin so decreased fat transport out of hepatocytes
Man presents with fever, yellowing, pain in RUQ. He also says he has been on a bender for the last month. Likely Diagnosis?
Alcoholic staetohepatitis
Occuring after excessive alcoholism from 3-4 weeks.
Diabetic becomes hypoglycaemic in the night after a night of drinking. Why?
Alcohol inhibits glucose production from glycogen in the liver
What would you expect to find on examination with someone suffering chronic alcoholism?
Signs of portal hypertension (caput medusae, spidernaevi, splenomegaly) Dupuytrens contracture Palmar erythema Signs of memory loss Foot/wrist drop (thiamine deficiency)
What is boerhaave syndrome
Transmural perforation of the oesophagus mainly after a vomiting episode/ sudden increase in intraoesophageal pressure. Different from mallory-weiss tear which is non-transmural
Man presents with LUQ pain, floating stools, nausea/vomiting, weight loss and fatigue. He is a chronic drinker. Likely diagnosis?
Chronic pancreatitis
Man presents with fine tremor, sweating, anxiety, fever, retching. He is a mild chronic alcoholic how long ago was his last drink aprox?
12-36 hours
What are some of the symptoms of a moderate dependency alcoholic 12-5 days without alcohol?
SEIZURES Coarse tremor Shaking agitation Confusion Disorientation Paranoia Hallucinations
What are some of the symptoms of a severe dependecy alcoholic with withrawl 12-7days ?
Severe agitation Anxiety High risk of delerium tremens (DTs) Confusion Hallucinations
What is the treatment for the withdrawl of alcohol symptoms?
Diazepam
From 2mg if scoring 2+ on alcohol withdrawl protocol
After night of binging, a man wakes with reduced function of his arm. What is this condition known as? How does it occur
Compression neuropathy due to radial nerve compression from the humeral head
How much alcohol does someone have to consume to be likely to get alcoholic cardiomyopathy ?
8-9 units a day for 5+years