Substance misuse: need to add overdose Flashcards
substance misuse hierarchy
Substance dependence requires at least two of the following:
- Impaired control over substance use
- Increasing priority over other aspects of life or responsibility
- Psychological features suggestive of tolerance and withdrawal
Pathophysiology of addiction including withdrawal
ccording to UK guidance, the threshold for alcohol consumption is
14 units a week spread evenly over three days or more
the difference between hazardous drinking, harmful drinking, and alcohol dependence.
- Hazardous drinking: individual consumes more than 14 units of alcohol a week, which may increase their risk of harm.
- Harmful drinking is when the pattern of alcohol consumption directly causes physiological complications and illnesses as discussed below.
- alcohol dependence is characterised by craving and tolerance of alcohol consumption despite the negative complications experienced.
Alcohol misuse clinical features
- short term harm: alcohol poisoning and accidents
- liver cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease.
- chronic alcohol misuse can present with bleeding oesophageal varices, hepatic failure, and stigmata of liver diseases.
Withdrawal symptoms
* Within 6-12 hours: tremors, and autonomic arousal (e.g. tachycardia, fever, pupillary dilation, and increased sweating).
* 34h: peak seizures
* Between 12-48 hours of cessation, patients can experience alcohol hallucinosis (typically auditory or tactile).
* Between 72-96 hours, patients can present with delirium tremens. They may experience altered mental status, agitation, and tactile hallucination.
Screening questionnnaire alcohol misuse
The AUDIT-C questionnaire is a common screening tool that looks at the risk of dependency of alcohol misuse.7
Other questionnaires include the SAD-Q questionnaire which looks at the severity of alcohol dependence and the CAGE questionnaire.
investigations in alcohol misuse
- Full blood count: raised MCV, raised platelets, anaemia
- Liver function tests: increased GGT, AST:ALT > 2:1
- Haematinics (B12/folate): alcohol can cause folate deficiency
- Thyroid function tests
Alcohol misuse management
Alcohol misuse complications
Opioid misuse includes the use of
morphine, heroin, and codeine.
opiod MOA
central nervous system depressants that slow brain activity and relax muscles.
Clinical features of opiod misuse
- Physiological: euphoria and reduced pain, sedation, respiratory depression, meiosis, constipation, skin warmth and flushing
- Psychological: apathy, disinhibition, drowsiness, impaired judgment and attention, slurred speech
When withdrawing from opioids, increased sympathetic nervous system activity causes rhinorrhoea, lacrimation, diarrhoea, pupillary dilation, piloerection, tachycardia, and hypertension.
Investigations of opiod misuse
opioid misuse management