Exam 3 Flashcards
Addiction
Primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry
Characterized by inability to abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with behaviors and relationships and dysfunctional emotional response
When does addiction start?
Peak is about 18 years, but mean is 10-25
Dopamine Pathways
Reward/motivation, pleasure, euphoria, motor function (fine-tuning), compulsion, perseveration
Serotonin Pathways
Mood, memory processing, sleep, cognition
Dopamine Reward Pathway
Dopamine released into synapse, bind to receptors, sends signal topmost-synaptic neuron, transported back to presynaptic neuron
Cocaine blocks removal of dopamine resulting in build-up leading to continuous stimulation>euphoria, over time the receptors become overloaded
Outcomes of continued drug use
Sensitization, craving and relapse; loss of control over drug use/compulsive drug seeking behavior
Loss of control of body movement, early learning/memory processing, attention state
Incentive Salience
Type of motivation created in brain because its developed an association between stimuli and reward
Risk factor for Substance Abuse Disorder
Genes (40-60%), M:F 2:1
Environment (family belief, exposure, peer pressure)
Childhood events (trauma, mental health, etc)
Age of onset (40% if 14 or younger, 10% if 20+)
Psychiatric comorbidities- anxiety, depression, bipolar
What kind of drugs do not have withdrawal symptoms?
CPC, hallucinogens, inhalants
Triage
Sorting patients according to the urgency of their need for care
Immediate threat to life, limb or vision is treated first
5 level triage system
Takes into account: physical, developmental, psychosocial needs, patient flow, health care access 1-life/limb/vision threat 2-abnormal vitals, 2+ tests 3-2+ tests w/ normal vitals 4-1 test normal vitals 5-no testing needed (healthy)
Decision Point A (triaging)
require immediate intervention?-airway, circulation, mental status (unresponsive/only to pain)
Decision Point B (triaging)
Abnormal vitals but not life threatening, new mental status changes
Decision Point c (triaging)
How many tests are you running?
EMTALA
“anti-dumping law”
Any facility that receives government funding must treat any patient until stable or transfer if needs are not available (at least a medical screening exam)
Up to $50,000 fine per violation
250 yard rule
Any person within 250 yards of the ED are the responsibility of the ED
Hypoxia
Insufficient delivery of oxygen to tissue, taken from finger
SaO2 <94%
Hypoxemia
Abnormally low arterial oxygen tension, taken from ABGs
PaO2 <60mmHg
Hypoventilation
Causes increased PaCO2 (decreased pH)
Right-to-left Shunt
Failure to increase oxygen levels with supplemental oxygen
Causes of Hypoxemia
Hypoventilation, right-to-left shunt, VQ mismatch, diffusion, low inspired oxygen (high altitude)
Stridor vs Wheeze
S: upper airway, inspiratory (foreign body, epiglottitis, anaphylaxis, croup)
W: lower airway, expiratory (asthma, COPD, cardiogenic palm edema, foreign body)
Rales vs Rhonchi
Rales-velcro sound/crackles, CHF
Rhonchi- pneumonia, clears with cough
Hypoxia Symptoms
Early: restless, anxiety, tachycardia/tachypnea
Late: Bradycardia, extreme restlessness, dyspnea
Peds: feeding difficulty, stridor, nasal flares expiratory grunting, sternal retractions