Drugs and alcohol Flashcards
(7 cards)
Poisoning:
Medicolegal issues:
- Common cause of suicide - Rare cause of accident and homicide - Victim rarely leaves specific post mortem findings - Have to do tests - Agrochemicals - Medicines - Corrosives and metals - look at burns around mouth etc
Suicides using solids/liquids 1991 more males than females e.g. more medicines (518) non meds (20)
Medicines:
Paracetamol = liver damage (most common) and can be gradual not immediate
Aspirin = cardiac arrhythmia
Anti depressants etc
Drug abuse:
Medicolegal issues:
- Cause death - acute and chronic - Effect behaviour - driving, violence - Alcohol, cannabis, narcotics, cocaine, hallucinogens
Alcohol:
- CNS depressant
- Rapidly absorbed - 30-40mins
- Detoxified by liver - 15mg/100ml per hour
- Highest level in blood, lowest in breath
Above 30mg - impaired driving
50-100 - disinhibition
100-200 - slurred speech, nausea
200-300 - vomiting
300+ - danger of aspiration/death
But different for alcoholics - higher levels
Acute alcohol intoxications:
- Respiratory depression - Aspiration of vomit - Accident suicide/homicide
Chronic alcoholism:
- Neglect and malnutrition
- Liver damage
- CNS damage
- Cardiomyopathy
Narcotics = opioids:
- Morphine
- Heroine
- Methadone
- Poppy seeds = what opioids are made from
- Very good pain killer and used in NHS
- Illegally - powder heated up into a liquid and taken via a (shared) injection - effect is immediate and death occurs rapidly, even with injection still in vein
- Inhaling it
- Can get holes across in groin, if injected with heroin a long time
Post mortem findings:
- Needle marks
- Neglect
- Fibrosis of cutaneous veins
- Toxicology - MOST IMPORTANT
Hallucinogens:
- LSD
- Angel dust
- Ecstasy
- Speeds things up - relatively safe compared to other drugs, uncommon as a cause of death
- Cause of deaths: accidents, hypothermia
- Cocaine from coca plant, usually through inhaling
- Heart and lung disease, CNS effects, hyperthermia
Solvent abuse:
- Age group 12-19
- Method of abuse: plastic bag, handkerchief, direct
- E.g. tippex, glues, petrol
- Usual cause of death = cardiac arrest and organ damage
Cannabis:
- Generally smoked, legal in many countries
- Not killed anyone?
