Substance Use and Addictive Disorders Flashcards
what is the third leading cause of preventable death and disability in the US?
alcohol abuse and addiction
what is highest among young adults 18 to 25?
binge drinking and heavy alcohol
what is the most commonly used illicit drug in the US?
marijuana
what are the substances most commonly misused by college students?
alcohol
marijuana use
medically unsupervised amphetamines
medically unsupervised sedatives/tranquilizers
ectasy/3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
prescription, opioid narcotics, cocaine, and hallucinogen
inhalants, gamma hydroxybutyrate, ketamine, and heroin
who has the highest usage of alcohol use?
Native Americans and Mexican-American adolescent males
what is the most widely used drug by African Americans?
alcohol
who reports the most frequent, heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems?
Mexican American men
which group has the lowest among Asian and Pacific Islanders and Cuban Americans?
substance abuse
which gender abuses chemicals ?
men
what is the definition of use?
when one drinks, swallows, smokes, sniffs, inhales, or injects a mind-altering substance
what is abuse?
use of alcohol or drugs for the purpose of intoxication, or, in the case of prescription drugs, for purposes beyond their intended use
what is addiciton?
an irresistible psychological and/or physiological need to continue the substance use or behavior despite the harm it causes; may or may not include physical dependence
what is physical dependence?
physiological requirement for the substance by the brain, as evidenced by development of tolerance and withdrawal when use decreases or stops
what is a craving?
an urgent desire for a substance or behavior to which one is addicted, often in response to triggers, that is very difficult to resist
what is tolerance?
physiological adaptation to a substance such that increasing amounts are needed to achieve the same affect
what is cross tolerance?
substances that are pharmacologically interchangeable in terms of how the body responds; e.g.g if one develops tolerance to alcohol, he also has tolerance for benzodiazepines and would require a higher dose of the benzodiazepines to achieve their usual effect. we take advantage of this property to treat dependence, e.g. we replace alcohol with benzodiazepines and gradually reduce their dosage during medically supervised detoxification
what is withdrawal?
state characterized by adverse physical and psychological symptoms occurring when on ceases using a substance to which the brain has acclimated
what is a trigger?
anything which cues or prompts a response, e.g. seeing a bar may trigger a craving for alcohol
what is detoxification?
safely withdrawing a person from an addictive substance, usually medical supervision, by providing a substance for which there is cross tolerance in gradually decreasing amounts
what is relapse?
the recurrence of alcohol- or drug-dependent behavior in an individual who has previously abstinence for a significant time beyond the period of detoxification
what are disorders wherein one has great difficulty refraining from using a substance or engaging in a behavior despite significant resulting harm?
substance-related and addictive disorders
what are type of substance-related and addictive disorders?
abuse of a substance
addiction and/or dependence on a substance
intoxication or withdrawal from a substance
behavioral addictions
what can happen with tox screens?
substances screened for in a standard tox screen can vary with the lab doing these, and screens do not test for all abusable substances
even when a screen tests for a substance some related substances may not show up
some common meds can causes false positives for other drugs
what is the chemical hook theory?
the nature of the substance itself reinforces its use- once the brain has been exposed, it “has to have it”
what is Alexander experiment?
addicted rats were divided into two groups, one placed in a “rat park” with toys and tunnels and food and company, while the other was in a traditional rat cage lacking amenities. this time, when offered the drugged water and plain water, the rats in the rat park chose the plain water, while the rats in the standard cage continued the abuse the drug; conclusion: if we have what we need we will not self medicated with drugs
what is impaired response inhibition and salience attribution (iRISA)?
with accumulating exposure to rewarding activites/substances, the brain narrows tis focus to just those behaviors/substances, resulting in an every-increasing focus on thoughts and actions that cue evokes; a common manifestation is the selective attention to cues related to that substance or behavior
at the same time the brain becomes less and less able to control one’s responses to those cues irrespective of resulting consequences
what is the etiology of substance abuse?
biological components
psychological components
social components
what are the biologic components?
genetic predisposition
neurotransmitter variations and effects
what are the psychological components?
temperament
feelings about self
environmental factors
what is the social components?
family and other relationships
peer pressure
what is alcohol?
CNS depressant and euphoriant
what is legal intoxication?
is determined by the level of alcohol in the blood (blood alcohol level) but neurobehavioral manifestations vary with the degree of physiological tolernace
what can happen from excessive or long-term alcohol abuse?
it can harm any and all body systems
what can prenatal use of alcohol cause?
fetal alcohol syndrome
what is alcohol abuse?
one or more of the following in the year:
recurrent use in hazardous situations
recurrent alcohol-related legal problems
recurrent use and failure to meet role obligations
continued use despite social or interpersonal problems
what is alcohol dependence?
three or more of the following in a year:
tolerance
withdrawal
increase time spent in alcohol related activities
important activities given up or reduced
drinking more or longer than desired
persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down on alcohol us
continue use despite knowledge of self harm
what are the biologic responses to alcohol?
- increased GABA activity- causes relaxation, sedation
- acute- CNS depression and euphoria
- long-term-physiological tolerance and dependence
- Wernicke’s encephalopathy
- Korsakoff’s syndrome
- Wernicke and Korsakoffs often ooccur together as Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
- liver damage and disease, esophageal varices
- pancreatitis
- increased risk of oropharyngeal, esophageal, and other cancers
- cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, and stroke
- depression and worsening of other psychiatric disorders
what is Wernicke’s encephalopathy?
alcohol causes gastric irritation, reduces absorption of B vitamins, interferes with conversion of thiamine into thiamine pyrophosophate
what is Wernicke’s encephalopathy characterized by?
acute onset; oculomotor dysfunction (bilateral abducens nerve palsy), ataxia, ptosis and confusion (may have any or all of these symptoms); requires emergency treatment to prevent permanent damage (IV thiamine)
what is Korsakoff’s syndrome?
gradual onset; retrograde and anterograde amnesia with sparing of intellectual function and some aspects of memory
what are the characteristic features of Korsakoff’s syndrome?
apathy or increased talkativeness; confabulation and cackling laugh
what can begin as soon as 2 hours after last drink (or dosage of last cross-tolerance medication)?
alcohol withdrawal
how can alcohol withdrawal be delayed?
it can be delayed when drugs that produce cross-tolerance are given
what are early symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?
tremors
diaphoresis
rapid pulse (>100)
elevated BP (>150/90)
headache
what is alcohol withdrawal syndrome?
hallucinations- primarily visual, patient usually recognizes as not real; usually starts 24+ hours after last drink
grand mal seizures- generally self-limiting, starts 24-48 hours after last drink
changes in cognition (memory, disorientation) at any point
what is severe alcohol withdrawal/delirium tremens?
is a medical emergency (>10% mortality rate even when treated)
ANS instability- tachycardia, HTN, pyrexia
mental status changes- disorientation, reduced awareness of environment, somnolence, delusions (paranoid), hallucinations (visual/tactile, patient believes are real), marked tremor, agitation, diaphoresis
what is the onset of the severe alcohol withdrawal?
3-5 days after last drink and other cross-tolerance medications (varies with liver function)
how long does severe alcohol withdrawal last?
2-3 days (usually; can last longer)
what are the treatments of alcohol withdrawal?
replace thiamine, niacin, folate, magnesium- all IV
replace electrolytes as needed- all IV
glycogen- D5W IV
benzodiazepines- usually diazepam or chlordiazepoxide, IV, replace alcohol, doses based on objective physiologic signs administered aggressively and in high doses as needed than gradually tapered off
high alcohol tolerance may require very high dosage
baclofen- GABA analog, muscle relaxant, rapid action; non-addictive; mechanisms unclear
antipsychotic for psychotic features- agitation, PRN
what is the treatment for lesser withdrawal states?
as for DT’s expect benzodiazepines, applicable other medications may be lower dosages (or not needed) and IM instead of IV
benzodiazepine dosages are usually somewhat lower than in DT’s but high dosage may still be needed d/t cross tolerance with alcohol
may feed pt instead of IV glucose
may feed patient instead of IV glucose
B-complex IM; multivitamins
what is the best treatment for alcohol withdrawal?
prevention
consistent and effective screening for risk
vigilance for early signs- tremor, tachycardia, HTN
risk can be delayed by cross tolerance medications, can increase as opioids or other cross-tolerant medications are decreased
must prevent with adequate amounts of benzodiapines (some undertreat)
what are the pharmacologic treatment of alcohol dependence?
disulfiram (antabuse)
naltrexone
acamprosate
citalopram
ondansetron
baclofen
gabapentin
what is disulfiram?
used adjunctively for aversion therapy, causes unpleasant response when alcohol is consumed: facial flushing, headache, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, weakness, blurred vision, mental confusion, sweating, choking, breathing difficulty, and anxiety
even small amounts of inadvertent alcohol produces adverse effects
infrequently used d/t often being discontinued by patient inadvertent alcohol exposure
what medications reduce craving and/or rewards from drinking?
naltrexone
acamprosate
citalopram
ondansetron
baclofen
what binds with opioid receptors to block euphoric effects of alcohol and reduce craving; available in LAI form?
naltrexone (revia)
what is an agonist activity at GABA recepotr, used after detox, neuronal excitation/inhibition imbalance?
acamprosate (campral)