Alcohol and substance use problems Flashcards
Glossary
-Pyschoactive = acts on CNS
-Intoxication = transient, subspecific with altered mood, consciousness, perception or behaviour
-Hazardous use = increased risk of adverse outcome
- harmful use = adverse outcomes w/o dependence (relationships, occupation, physical, mental and legal
-deppendence = condition with biopsychoscoial elements
-misuse = abuse = use without legal or medical guidelines
-withdrawl = substance specific syndrome on reduction
/cessation of substance after repeated high dose use
ICD-10 depedence on substance
3 or more of the below for more than 1 month or for less than one moneth but occured repeatedly over the last 12 months
- Strong desire or compulsion to take substance
- difficulties in controlling substance taking behaviour (onset/termination/levels of use)
- phsiological withdrawl or continueing to avoid this
- Tolerance . . . increase dose needed for same effect
- Priority given to substance . . . eg time/money getting and time recovering from
- persistance despite knowing it causes harm
alcohol amounts
1 unit = amount metabolisd in one hour
- zero order kinetis
- abc * vol = units . . .. . 568ml (pint) of 5% = 5.3* 0.568 = 3 units
alcohol advice
- no sage level to drink alcohol
- < 14 units/week keeps risk low
- don’t drink all in one go
alcohol intoxication
-high = icoordination, slurred speech, ataxia, amnesia and impaired reaction times
- much higher = decreased consciousjness, respiratory depression, caoma and death
. . . .hypoglycaeemia, hypthermia, trauma and aspiration risk
- 7/10 completed suiicides are intoxicated
Alcohol complications
break it up bio (into systems) pscycho social
withdarawl
- uncomplicated
- -uncomplicated with perceptual changes
- uncomplicated with withdrawl seizures
- delirum tremens
- wernickes encepalopathy (withdrawl often precedes this)
Blackouts common and dementia
uncomplicated withdrawl
- 4-12 hours post cessation
- tremulousnes (shakes)
- sweating
- N+V
- Mood (anxiety/depression/ on edge)
- hyperacusis
- autonomic hyperactivity
- sleep disturbance
- agitation
With perceptial disturbances (illusions/hallucinations)
with withdrawl seizures
- 5-15% of dependence
- generalised and tonic clonic
- predisposed by hx of fits, concurrent epilepsy and decrease pottassium or magnesium
Delirium Tremens
- 1-7 days after (mean 48hrs)
-altered consciousness and decrease cognition
-viid hallucinations andillusions (lillipution and formication (insects)
-marked tremor
-autoomic arousal (BP, HR, SWEAT, TEMP)
-paranoid delusions
5-15% mortality
wernickes encephalopathy
Triad of ataxia, opthalmoplegia and decrease cognition
Risk of long term decrease in cognition ( Korskof syndrome) - extensive anteriograde/retrograde amnesia
Treat with parental thiamine (pabrinex)
Other alcohol related psychiatric condtions
alcohol related psychotic disorder
- from perceptial changes to severe delusions that resolve with alcohol cessation
- much more likely to be from underlying condition or withdrawl
alcohol related mood disorder
- anxiety and depression very interelatied
- which came first
- treat dependence first and should improve
alchol related anxiety disorder
-common to self medicate for PTSD, agoraphobia and social phobia
Psych-substance relationships
1 primary psychiatric disorder and substance used on top
- symptoms due to direct effect of substance
- Combination as psychoactive substances used can cause condition in predisposed
substance related psychiatric disorder indicated if:
- known association with specific drug
temporal relationship between drug and sx
-complete recovery after termination of drug use
-absence of evidence of previous psych history or familiy history
Substance Hx
- CAGE and AUDIT questionaires useful
- what is used?
- pattern?
- route?
- dependent?
- abstinence?
- controlled use?
- relapses?
- Previous Treatment?
consequences?
- biopsychosocial
- forensic/occupation
- remember polyuse
DRIVING!
Most common ODs
heroine
diazepam
alcohol
methadone