Chapter 10 Flashcards
Analgesia
Pain relief produced without a loss of consciousness.
Heroin
A drug produced by chemically processing morphine. It is more potent than morphine and has become the major opiate drug of harmful use.
Naloxone
A short-acting opiate antagonist.
Opium
The dried sap produced by the poppy plant.
Discuss factors contributing to the current opioid epidemic
Morphine development, heroin development, prescription opiates
Evaluate the impact of the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act on opiate use in the US
used mainly in large cities where there was a supply, Heroin emerged as drug of choice, dependents tended to get younger, less educated men of lower socioeconomic status
Opiates absorption
variety of methods, most readily absorbed from the GI tracts, greater effect intravenously, most nasal mucosa and lungs, smoked, intranasally, subcutaneously
Opiates distribution
bloodstream - accumulate in kidneys, lungs, liver, spleen, and digestive tract, muscles, and brain,
Opiates metabolized and excreted
metabolized in liver and excreted by kidneys
Compare the mechanism of action of endogenous endorphins with opiates
Opiate drugs act in the brain by binding to endogenous endorphin receptors; endorphins are natural
neurotransmitters that are involved in the regulation of pain.
Describe how drug naloxone is used to treat an opiate overdose
antagonist: naloxone also binds to the opiate receptor site, but once there, naloxone does not produce euphoria, pain relief, or other effects
completely reverses the effects of those drugs.
Adv and Disadv of therapeutic use of opiates
opiate analgesics relieve pain without causing unconsciousness
potency and their duration of action
treating diarrhea
dependence and overdose risk
Acute effects of opiates incl psych and physio
lower body temp, lower BP, pupil constriction, drying secretions, constipation, lower sex drive, impotence, respiratory depression, analgesia, eurphoria
Chronic effects incl. psych + physio
Increased body temp, increased BP, pupil dilation, tearing, running nose, diarrhea, spontaneous orgasm, yawning, pain, depression/anxiety
Describe the symptoms associated with physical dependence and withdrawl from opiates
Regular use of opiates results in tolerance and
an abstinence syndrome characterized by flu-like
symptoms and intense drug craving. Heroin dependence is more complex than simple avoidance of
withdrawal symptoms
