Lecture 11 (Exam 1) Flashcards
What are medical conditions that doctors diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm?
- Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
What is a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to ______ g/dL? This usually occurs after ___ drinks for women and ___ drinks for men—in about 2 hours? What is a ‘drink’ with beer, malt, table wine, fortified wine, liqueur/aperitif, brandy and spirits?
- Binge Drinking
- 0.08 g/dL
- 4 drinks for women
- 5 drinks for men
Drinks: - Beer: 12 oz
- Malt: 8.5 oz
- Table wine: 5 oz
- Fortified wine: 3-4 oz
- Liqueur/aperitif: 2-3 oz
- Brandy: 1.5 oz
- Spirits: 1.5 oz
What are some reasons that individuals use, abuse and/or become alcoholics (3)?
- Self-medication (depression/anxiety)
- Altered mental state (increases levels of dopamine)
- Genetics (up to 50%)
Alcohol or Ethanol are small molecules, what does this mean? It is a CNS __________ and has withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol kills 88,00 people every year, this is the ____ leading cause for preventable death in the US.
- It can get into almost every tissue/area of the body.
- CNS Depressant
- 3rd
How does alcohol act on the body (3)? Where is a majority of alcohol absorbed? Is alcohol highly diffusible?
- Involves many receptors. It disrupts lipid membranes. And it can stimulate Endorphins, which causes a decrease in GABA and an increase in Dopamine.
- Small Intestine (it is for this reason that food can slow absorption)
- Highly Diffusible: Will affect baby if pregnant.
Alcohol acts as a Zero-Order Kinetics, what does this mean?
- Alcohol has a constant rate of metabolism regardless of original concentration. Or that rate is independent of the reactant concentration and do not vary with increasing nor decreasing reactants concentrations.
What are the two enzymes that break down/eliminate alcohol? Where does 90% of this process occur? What about the rest?
- Alcohol Dehydrogenase
- Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
- 90% in the liver
- Lungs (breathalyzer) and urine.
At what Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level does alcohol start to cause respiratory depression and eventually death?
- > 400 mg/dL (0.4%)
The order in which alcohol affects the various brain centers is as follows?
(Cerebellum, Cerebral Cortex, Hypothalamus/Pituitary Gland, Limbic system, Medulla)
- Cerebral Cortex (cognition/thought)
- Limbic System (emotions)
- Cerebellum (balance)
- Hypothalamus/Pituitary Gland (hormones)
- Medulla (breathing)
Alcohol can effect the Cardiovascular System, the Liver, the Kidneys, the GI tract, and the Immune System. In which ways does it do this?
- Cardiovascular system: Vasodilator (people will get flush and turn red/bloodshot),
Low Dose can have a little benefit by increasing the HDL (cholesterol),
High Dose can cause heart disease and high blood pressure. - Liver: Fatty liver deposits and Cirrhosis of the liver.
- Kidneys: Acts as a Diuretic (increases urine)
- GI Tract: Is a Caustic substance (a corrosive substance when it comes in contact with the body by increasing acid secretions), malnourishment and increased risk of cancer.
- Immune System: Suppresses both innate and adaptive immune systems.
What is characteristic of bone deformities, facial deformities and learning deformities in a child that has had a mother with alcohol problems?
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrom (FAS)
What are some withdrawal symptoms of alcohol?
- Anxiety/Insomnia, nausea, seizures, hallucinations and delirium tremens.
What drugs should alcohol not be mixed with?
- Drugs that cause liver problems (Acetaminophen).
- CNS depressant medications (sleep meds)
What are the two main drugs to treat alcoholism?
- Disulfiram: Inhibits ALDH, increases acetaldehyde. (Reinforces abstinence)
- Naltrexone: Reward feeling.
What are some dental considerations for those with AUD/alcoholism?
- Periodontitis, Plaque, Calculus
- Decreased salivation (xerostomia)
- Leukoplakia
- Inflamed gingiva and redness
- Increased healing time and bleeding.
- Avoid prescribing alcohol-containing rinses.
