Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

3RD YEAR SYSTEMS: Psychiatry > Clinical aspects of substance misuse > Flashcards

Clinical aspects of substance misuse Flashcards

1
Q

Name 5 Class A drugs

A
  • Heroin
  • Cocaine
  • Ectasy
  • Street Methadone
  • LSD
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Name 2 Class B drugs

A
  • Barbiturates
  • Amphetamine
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Name 3 Class C drugs

A
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Ketamine
  • Cannabis
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Which unclassified substances pose more of a risk than some Class A and B drugs? (3)

A
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Solvents
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the most commonly abused substances in the UK which tend to have the biggest impact on local health services/communities?

A

Alcohol!

Heroin / opiates

Benzodiazepines

Cocaine (powder) / crack cocaine (smoked)

Cannabis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Give 4 examples of stimulant drugs

A
  • Cocaine
  • Amphetamine (speed) - not as widely used nowadays
  • Methamphetamine (meth) - never been a big problem in the UK
  • Methylphenidate
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How does Cocaine work?

A

It is a monoamine reuptake inhibitor

  • Monoamines such as dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline are increased after taking cocaine
  • Reuptake inhibitors inhibit the reuptake of dopamine etc therefore meaning their levels in the synaptic cleft increase
  • Because of this increase in dopamine/serotonin/noradrenaline you get a sensation/rush of euphoria / less need for sleep etc
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How quickly do the different forms of Cocaine effect you?

A

The effects of cocaine depend on the dose and rate of entry to the brain

Smoking - almost immediate

Injecting - 15 to 30 secs

Snorting - 3 to 5 mins

The effects of crack smoking are very intense but quickly over ( 15 mins)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the effects of cocaine? i.e what does it do to the body and how do you feel after taking it?

A
  • Euphoric
  • It is a stimulant
  • It has an anaesthetic effect
  • Hypersensitive
  • Increased alertness and energy
  • Increased confidence (arrogant, loud) and impaired judgement
  • Lessens appetite and lessens desire for sleep
  • If mixed with alcohol - produces cocaethylene (sort of like cocaine but with a longer half life)
  • Damage to nose and airways - septal erosion
  • Convulsions with respiratory failure
  • Cardiac arrhythmias and MI
  • Hypertension and CVA
  • Toxic confusion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the withdrawal effects from cocaine?

A
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Agitation
  • Craving
  • Hyperphagia - abnormally strong sensation of hunger or desire to eat
  • Hypersomnia - excessive sleepiness

PRETTY MUCH THE OPPOSITE OF DRUG EFFECT

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are amphetamines?

A

A CNS stimulant that can be sniffed, swallowed or injected

  • Its effects are similar to cocaine (dopamine enhancer) but longer lasting
  • Toxic confusion occasionally with convulsions and death
  • Can get Amphetamine psychosis in heavy chronic use
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the difference between opioids and opiates?

A

Opioids are a class of drugs that are commonly prescribed to treat pain.

Opioids include both opiates, natural drugs derived from the opium poppy and synthetic opioids.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Give some examples of opiates (5)

A
  • Opium - comes from poppies
  • Morphine - natural
  • Heroin (diamorphine) - man made drug - synthesised from morphine
  • Methadone - synthetic (opioid)
  • Oxycodone (opioid)
  • Codeine and dihydrocodeine
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How do Opiates work generally / why do people generally take them?

A

They can depress the nervous system to reduce physical and psychological pain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Heroin

  1. How does Heroin effect you?
  2. Method of action?
  3. Half life time?
A
  1. Sense of analgesia and euphoria + mood effects
  2. It is an opioid agonist - it acts on Mu, delta and kappa opioid receptors
  3. Half life = 30 mins - if you are dependent on it you will need multiple administrations i.e because of the short half life you need to top it up to not go into withdrawal (approx every 4 hours). Tend to go into acute withdrawals in the middle of the night,
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Effects of heroin

A
  • Analgesia - very potent analgesic - you have a sensation of feeling the pain but you don’t care as much about it
  • Emotional analgesia - the same ^ applies for this - you know your life is unmanageable / you have problems etc but you don’t care as long as you have heroin in your system
  • Nausea initially - usually given morphine with an anti-emetic - remember you were sick from your morphine after surgery
  • Euphoria
  • Pin point pupils
  • Itching/sweating
  • Constipation
  • Decreased libido/menstrual irregularities
  • Reduced cough reflex - increases risk of respiratory infections etc (loss of defence)
17
Q

What happens when you overdose on heroin?

A
  • Respiratory depression
  • Snoring - can often just seem like they’re sleeping but if they start snoring then that indicates risk
  • Bradycardia
  • Hypotension
  • Death

Risk of overdose and death is increased if mixed with other respiratory depressants – alcohol, benzodiazepines etc

18
Q

What is given to people who have either come to A&E with suspected heroin overdose or been given too much analgesia on a medical ward?

A

Give them naloxone - an opiate antagonist which will immediately reverse that effect

19
Q

Side effects of opiates

A

First time use - nausea/vomiting and headache

Medium term:

  • Phlebitis - inflammation of the vein
  • Endocarditis
  • Injection site injuries / consequences - blood borne viruses i.e hep B and C
  • Anorexia
  • Constipation

Longer term:

  • Tolerance / Withdrawal cycle
  • Social and health problems - drug becomes your whole life
20
Q

Opiate withdrawal syndrome / symptoms?

A
  • Very marked craving
  • Insomnia - very severe - can last for days
  • Yawning
  • Muscle pain and cramps
  • Increased salivary, nasal and lacrimal secretions
  • Dilated pupils
  • Piloerection - erection or bristling of hairs

INTENSE

21
Q

Why is methadone given out to reduce opiate use?

A
  • It reduces risk
  • Once a day preparation - long half life
  • Allows a degree of normalisation of lifestyle
  • Reducing amount of times they will inject
22
Q

Give some examples of benzodiazepines (6)

A
  • Diazepam (valium)
  • Nitrazepam
  • Temazepam
  • Alprazolam (Xanax)
  • Lorazepam
  • Etizolam
23
Q

What are benzodiazepines?

A
  • They are anxiolytics and sedatives - GABA agonists
  • Used mainly for acute withdrawal /sedation
  • However, these drugs can be found easily on the internet - can buy lethal amounts easily online
24
Q

How does Ecstasy i.e MDMA / Mandy make you feel?

A
  • Relaxed euphoric state without hallucinations followed by feeling of calm
  • Increased sociability
  • Inability to distinguish between what is and isn’t desirable
  • Effects after 20 mins lasting 2-4 hours
25
Q

Side effects of Ecstasy

A
  • Nausea and dry mouth
  • Increased blood pressure and temperature
  • In clubs users risk dehydration
  • Large doses can cause anxiety and panic
  • Drug induced psychosis
  • ? liver and brain cell damage
26
Q

What is the most commonly used illicit drug?

A

Cannabis

27
Q
  1. What are the main 2 active components of cannabis?
  2. What are the effects of these 2 active components?
  3. What is important about the ratio between the two?
A
  1. THC and CBD
  2. THC – psychedelic effects – bright colours, jokes are funnier, euphoriant, increases appetite – affects mental state. CBD – anxiolytic / anti-psychotic affect (more of a healthy drug).
  3. The higher the THC the higher the risk! You can buy different cannabis with different levels of THC/CBD
28
Q

What issues are associated with cannabis use?

A
  • It can cause respiratory problems
  • If you are a younger person and smoke high THC potency cannabis you are at increased risk of Schizophrenia
  • Exacerbation of major mental illness
  • If person has a predisposition to psychotic illness then cannabis use will make this worse
29
Q

Performance or image enhancing drug examples

A
  • Anabolic steroids - comprise of testosterone etc - legitimately prescribed in hypogonadism, muscular dystrophy, various anaemias, wasting in AIDS
  • Growth hormone
  • Injectable tanning agents e.g melotan
30
Q

Steroid side effects

A
  • Skin – acne, stretch marks, baldness
  • Feminisation in males with hypogonadism and gynaecomastia (occasioning use of anti-oestrogens)
  • Virilisation in women including hirsutism, deep voice, clitoral enlargement, menstrual irregularities, hair thinning
  • Cardiovascular – increased cholesterol and hypertension
  • Growth deficits due to premature closure of epiphyses
  • Liver Disease – cholestatic jaundice, liver tumours
  • Irritability and anger – ‘roid rage’
  • Hypomania and mania
  • Depression and suicidality on withdrawal
31
Q

How did legal highs come about?

A

Found a loophole in the law where by you could slightly alter the chemical make up of class A/B/C drugs and then you could sell it online etc as a legal high whilst avoiding the drug laws

3RD YEAR SYSTEMS: Psychiatry (15 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions