Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

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


See full index

Kat's Pathology > Drugs/Forensic Toxicology > Flashcards

Drugs/Forensic Toxicology Flashcards

1
Q

Toxicology

A

Concerned with analysing samples for drugs/poisons and interpreting the significance of the results

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

Forensic

A

Reports/results are used in courts (Magistrates, Crown, Coroners)

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

What does section 3 of the coroners act 1887 say

A

The following deaths are reported to the coroner: violent, unnatural or sudden, cause of death unknown

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

Types of cases reported to the coroner

A 
Addicts/drug use
Sudden unexplained/natural 
Hanging 
Overdoses
Road Traffic Collisions 
Train deaths 
Self-inflicted injury 
Fire
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What samples are used in forensic toxicology

A 
Ante-mortem serum/blood 
Post-mortem blood: heart blood, cavity blood (screening); femoral vein blood (screening and quantitation) 
Urine 
Stomach contents 
Vitreous humour 
Hair 
Liver 
Other - bile, mucous, powders, syringes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How is alcohol (+ acetone) tested for

A

Head-space GC

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How is the general drug screen done

A

GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How is the urine drugs of abuse screen done

A

GC-MS

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

How is morphine tested for

A

EIA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How is cannabis tested for

A

GC-MS

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

How are amphetamines tested for

A

GC-MS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How is the hair simultaneous screen and quantitation screen done

A

GC-MS

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

What are some new psychoactive substances

A

Modafinil
Ibogaine
Flubromazepam

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How does heroin overdose occur

A

Most respiratory depression or aspiration pneumonitis

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

How long after ingesting fatal doses of methadone does death occur

A

4-6 hours later

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How heroin taken

A

IV injected, mix with tobacco, volatilised

17
Q

What is the most fatal route of ingestion of heroin

A

All routes can cause OD

18
Q

What is a feature of heroin use

A

Tolerance can develop

19
Q

What is the typical maintenance dose of methadone

A

Tolerance can develop
5mL can kill a child, 60mL can kill a healthy adult male

Maintenance dose can vary from 5-200mL

20
Q

Can benzodiazepine overdose cause death

A

Extremely rare to cause death alone

21
Q

What is a common drug found in RTAs

A

Alcohol

Cannabis

22
Q

What is speedball

A

Cocaine injected with heroin

23
Q

What are the dangers of cocaine use

A

Cardiac dysrhythmias
Acute heart failure
Myocardial infarction
Slowly developing damage to the myocardium, ventricular arrhythmias, sudden death

24
Q

What is lethal syndrome of excited delirium

A

Occurs in regular cocaine users within 24hours of last dose

25
Q

What can prolong the effects of cocaine

A

Ethanol

26
Q

What does large OD of amphetamine cause

A

Direct toxic effect on the heart

27
Q

What can amphetamines cause

A

Hyperthermia, leading to rhabdomyolysis, leading to muscle necrosis and renal failure

28
Q

Designer drug categories

A

Stimulants
Synthetic cannabinoids or ‘spice’
Synthetic opioids
Hallucinogenic compounds

29
Q

What legal drugs can cause lethal overdose

A 
Antidepressants 
Antipsychotics 
Analgesics
Antihypertensives 
Anticonvulsants 
Solvents 
Hypnotics 
Anxiolytics 
Antimalarials 
Beta blockers
Anaesthetics
30
Q

Sources of drugs

A 
Over-the-counter preparations
Prescription medication
Illegal street drugs
Migrant population
Bought over internet
31
Q

Why can the post-mortem blood not be used to calculate the dose of drug taken

A

PM redistribution of drugs occurs

32
Q

Why is cocaine overdose difficult to interpret

A

Degrades in PM blood
PM blood concentration and blood concentration at time of death not the same
To interpret cocaine levels: witness behaviour, cardiovascular pathology, medicinal/drug use history
Addict can tolerate high levels
Causes heart problems, death with low levels

33
Q

Why is hair used in toxicology

A

Blood/serum, drugs typically can be detected for no more than 12 hours
Urine, drugs typically detected for 2-3 days
Hair is the only specimen can give information about long term drug use
Drugs are incorporated into hair from the blood stream during the growth phase
Hair growth approx 1cm/month – “tape-recording of drug use”

34
Q

What information can be obtained from hair analysis

A

Can provide valuable evidence which cannot be provided by any other means
Segmental analysis provides pattern of past use
Established technique
Increasingly used in crime investigation
Seldom used in routine Coroner’s Toxicology

35
Q

What drugs can be detected in hair

A 
Morphine 
Cocaine 
Amphetamine 
Diazepam 
Analgesics 
Anticonvulsants 
Antiemetics 
Antihistamines 
Antidepressants 
Antipsychotics 
Local anaesthetic
36
Q

Problems with hair analysis

A

Environmental contamination
Absorbed from sweat or sebum coating hair
Passive inhalation
Cosmetic treatment (Shampoo washing, Perming, dyeing, bleaching)
Hair colour

37
Q

What is chemsex

A

Sex under the influence of drugs (MSM)

38
Q

What drugs are used in chemsex

A

g-hydroxybutyrate/ g-butyrolactone
Methylamphetamine (crystal meth)
Mepdedrone

39
Q

Harms associated with chemsex

A

GHB/GBL have steep dose response curves
Mixing with other drugs is dangerous
Increased risk of HIV

Kat's Pathology (105 decks)

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