Lecture Week 4 Flashcards
What are the main routes of drug administration?
Ingestion, Inhalation, Intranasal, Injection
Which route of administration is the most common?
Ingestion
How does ingestion work?
Passes through the gastrointestinal system, absorbed into the bloodstream via stomach and large intestine.
Which is the second most common route of administration?
Inhalation
How is inhalation absorbed?
Primarily through the lungs, reaching the bloodstream within seconds.
What are examples of inhaled substances?
Tobacco, marijuana, crack, inhalants.
What is intranasal drug use?
Snorting drugs into the nose, absorbed through blood vessels.
Which drugs are commonly taken intranasally?
Cocaine, sometimes heroin.
What are the different types of injection?
Intravenous (IV), Intramuscular (IM), Subcutaneous.
Which is the most dangerous method of drug administration?
Injection, due to risks like overdose, collapsed veins, and infections.
How do drugs travel in the body?
Through bloodstream, cross the blood-brain barrier to affect neurons.
What is drug elimination?
Broken down in liver, excreted via kidneys, lungs, sweat, or breast milk.
What is a drug’s half-life?
The time it takes to reduce the drug level by half in the body.
What enzymes metabolize alcohol?
Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).
Why do women have higher BAC than men?
Higher fat percentage, less stomach ADH, less active liver ADH.
What is the legal BAC limit for driving?
0.08
What is an agonist drug?
Mimics the effects of neurotransmitters (e.g., opiates).
What is an antagonist drug?
Blocks neurotransmitters or prevents their reuptake (e.g., SSRIs).
What neurotransmitter systems does alcohol affect?
Activates GABA, endorphin; suppresses NMDA glutamate, acetylcholine.
What is the peak and valley effect?
Peak: intoxication effects; Valley: withdrawal or rebound effects.
What are the effects of stimulants?
Peak: euphoria, alertness; Valley: depression, fatigue, paranoia.
What are the effects of sedatives?
Peak: relaxation, mild euphoria; Valley: agitation, insomnia, withdrawal can be life-threatening.
What percentage of traffic deaths involve alcohol?
31%
What are the effects of opiates?
Peak: euphoria, pain relief; Valley: flu-like withdrawal symptoms.
What are the effects of psychedelics?
Peak: hallucinations, disorientation; Valley: no withdrawal but possible flashbacks.
What is THC?
The active ingredient in cannabis, causes sensory distortions and euphoria.
What is cross-tolerance?
Resistance to one drug due to exposure to a similar drug (e.g., alcohol and benzos).
Which drugs have the highest dependence potential?
Amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine, heroin, opiates.
What is Korsakoff’s Syndrome?
Memory loss due to Vitamin B1 deficiency, caused by alcohol misuse.
What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)?
Birth defects, mental and growth retardation due to prenatal alcohol exposure.
