narcotic analgesics

Question 1

What is an analgesic?

Answer 1

A medication that relieves pain

Question 2

How is an analgesic different that an anesthetic?

Answer 2

It lowers one’s perceptions of pain rather that stopping nerve transmission

Question 3

Non-narcotic analgesics such as aspirin or tylenol relieve pain but do not…

Answer 3

produce narcosis which means numbness or sedation

Question 4

What is a narcotic ?

Answer 4

Derived from opium OR produced synthetically to relieve pain and also induce euphoria, alter mood and produce sedation.

Question 5

The 2 sub categories of narcotic analgesics are:

Answer 5

Opiates and synthetics

Question 6

Opiates are derived from what?

Answer 6

opium

Question 7

the opium poppy is called palaver somniferum, what does that mean?

Answer 7

carrier of sleep

Question 8

What is an Alkaloid?

Answer 8

A chemical that is found in, and can be physically extracted from some substance. Think “main ingredient”

Question 9

All narcotic analgesics have these 3 common characteristics:

Answer 9

1. They relieve pain
2. Produce withdrawn signs and symptoms
3. Suppress the withdraw signs and symptoms of chronic narcotic analgesic administration
   (meaning various narcotic analgesics can substitute each other to relieve withdraw symptoms).

Question 10

___________________ is typically the standard for comparison with other narcotic analgesics.

Answer 10

Morphine

Question 11

What is the hip term all of the cool kids are referring to as an injection site?

Answer 11

mark

Question 12

Drugs and medications are usually injected into the body in these 3 ways:

Answer 12

1. Intramuscular
2. Intravenous
3. subcutaneous

Question 13

Tell me more about intramuscular injections

Answer 13

Legal injections are usually this method

defined as administering by entering a muscle

Question 14

Whats the deal with intravenous injections?

Answer 14

For drawing of blood for medical procedures

injection made into a blood vessel, veins are usually used

arteries are deep, thus not lending themselves to injection

Question 15

What are subcutaneous injections?

Answer 15

means just under the skin

slang term is “skin popping”

Question 16

What are the parts to a hypodermic syringe?

Answer 16

1. hollow needle
2. barrel (tube)
3. plunger

Question 17

The greater the number of the gauge…

Answer 17

The smaller diameter of the needle

Question 18

Most illegal drug users prefer a smaller or larger gauge?

Answer 18

larger

Question 19

A user’s equipment is commonly referred to as:

Answer 19

“hype kit or “works”

Question 20

What is a cooker in regards to a user’s kit?

Answer 20

bottle cap, metal spoon, etc that is used to heat the drug with water to form an injectable solution.

Question 21

What is a handle in regards to a user’s kit?

Answer 21

to hold the “cooker” over the flames

Question 22

What does a lighter do in a users kit?

Answer 22

heats the cooker

Question 23

Why do druggies use a tourniquet to take their drugs?

Answer 23

causes the vein to bulge thus making it easier to inject.

Question 24

What does cotton do in regards to a user’s kit?

Answer 24

filters the drug

Question 25

An injection mark for medical purposes can be described as:

Answer 25

Clean

No scaring or scabbing

Most intramuscular injections will not even be evident during a DRE evaluation

Question 26

What are some indications of a non medical (illicit) injection site?

Answer 26

Multiple marks in various stages of healing

Takes approximately 2 weeks for a mark to heal completely

use of the same needle causes it to become barbed, leaving jagged injection marks.

Question 27

What do the terms “tunnel” or “corn” mean?

Answer 27

Multiple injections in the same hole to avoid detection turn into a large sore causing site to enlarge and bruise. a viewing with the magnifying glass will show numerous puncture wounds overlapping each other.

Question 28

What does thrombosed mean?

Answer 28

Veins become thick/hard from continuous injections. This is an obstruction clot of coagulated blood shutting off the passage of blood.

Question 29

What the hell is trap dooring?

Answer 29

When a user lifts a scab and injects underneath it to avoid detection… gross

Question 30

How long do scabs take to develop after an injection?

Answer 30

18-24 hours. As a general rule, scabs form as bright red and the color gets darker with age from there

Question 31

When does a scab normally fall off on its own?

Answer 31

14 days

Question 32

What does a fresh punter wound look like?

Answer 32

Injection less than 12 hours old will be a red dot, have an oozing appearance with no scab formation

Question 33

What classifies as a early puncture wound?

Answer 33

12-96 hours will have a light scab, light bruise, redounded border and crater appearance.

Question 34

What is classified as a late puncture wound?

Answer 34

5-14 days old, will have a dark scab, dark bruise and crater will flatten.

Question 35

What is classified as a healing puncture wound?

Answer 35

over 14 days old, scab will be flaking/falling off. Shriveled light color skin underneath.

Question 36

What is unique about tattoos in relation to injection marks?

Answer 36

Many tattoos are designed to hid injection marks

Question 37

What is “tattooing”

Answer 37

Dark carbon deposits that result from a needle being sterilized with a flame. The carbon deposits are injected into the skin resulting in a tattoo effect.

Question 38

What is a “track” or “silver streaks”

Answer 38

hardened part of vein where numerous injections have occurred. The entire vein becomes scarred/hardened and may no longer be able to inject into it. The are becomes raised and is a silvery-blue color.

Question 39

As a general rule, 1 inch of tracks indicates what?

Answer 39

approximately 50-100 separate injection have occurred in that area.

Question 40

What is another name for diacetylmorphine?

Answer 40

Heroin