Toxicologic Emergencies and Infectious Diseases

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering toxicological routes, specific poisons, drug/alcohol emergencies, and infectious diseases including COVID-19 based on Prehospital Emergency Care 12th edition lecture notes.

Poison

Any substance that impairs health or causes death by its chemical actions.

Toxicology

The study of toxins and their antidotes.

Routes of Exposure

The four ways poisons enter the body: Ingestion, Inhalation, Injection, and Absorption.

Activated Charcoal

A substance occasionally used in cases of certain ingested poisons to absorb toxins and prevent them from being absorbed into the body.

Huffing

The intentional inhalation of certain substances, such as propellants, which can displace oxygen from the lungs and damage the alveoli.

Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and Staph

Common types of bacteria that cause food poisoning.

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

A gas formed by incomplete combustion of fuels that is odorless, tasteless, colorless, nonirritating, and the leading cause of death from fires.

Cyanide

A poison found in rodenticides, silver polish, and fruit pits that interferes with the use of oxygen at the cellular level.

Acids

Caustics with a low pH that burn on contact for $1$ to $2$ minutes.

Alkalis

Caustics with a high pH where burns may have delayed sensation but can last for hours.

Hydrocarbons

Substances found in kerosene, lighter fluid, and glues that carry a high risk of aspiration.

Methanol

A substance found in gasoline and antifreeze that causes acidosis when ingested.

Isopropanol

Isopropyl alcohol, which is found in rubbing alcohol and is more toxic than ethanol.

Ethylene Glycol

A substance found in deicers with a sweet taste that has metabolites harmful to the CNS, lungs, heart, and kidneys.

Drug Abuse

Self-administration of a drug in a manner not in accord with approved medical or social patterns.

Overdose

An emergency involving poisoning by drugs or alcohol.

Withdrawal

The period of abstinence from a drug or alcohol to which the body has become accustomed.

Stimulants

Drugs like amphetamines and cocaine that cause increased alertness, elevated mood, and tachycardia.

Cannabis

Substances like marijuana and THC that cause euphoria, decreased inhibitions, and disorientation.

Narcotics/Opioids

Agents such as heroin, morphine, and fentanyl that cause drowsiness, respiratory depression, and constricted pupils.

Hallucinogens

Drugs like LSD and PCP that cause motor disturbances, anxiety, paranoia, and poor perception of time.

Tolerance

A condition where larger doses of a drug are required to produce the same effects.

Psychological Dependence

A state where a person is preoccupied with procuring a specific drug.

Physical Dependence

A state where the absence of a drug results in physical withdrawal symptoms.

Delirium Tremens (DTs)

A severe, life-threatening alcohol withdrawal complication characterized by confusion, terrifying hallucinations, and a mortality rate of $5\%$ to $15\%$.

Naloxone

An antidote used for suspected opioid overdose, usually administered at a dose of $2\,mg$ intranasally ($1\,mg$ in each nostril).

PCP

A dangerous hallucinogen stored in body fat that can cause psychological effects lasting for years.

MDMA (Ecstasy)

A psychoactive stimulant common to rave culture that can cause intracranial hemorrhage.

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

A condition resulting from long-term cannabis use characterized by recurrent nausea, vomiting, and relief from hot baths/showers.

Talk-down Technique

A method used to help decompress a hostile drug or alcohol patient using a calm, reassuring voice.

Hepatitis B

A virus that directly affects the liver and is contracted through blood and body fluids.

Hepatitis C

The most common bloodborne infection in the United States, typically transmitted through needlesticks.

Tuberculosis

A pathogen found in the lungs and other tissues often characterized by a cough with blood; requires the use of HEPA or N-95 masks.

West Nile Virus (WNV)

A disease transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito that can cause fever, stiff neck, and paralysis.

Ebola Virus Disease

A family of viral hemorrhagic fevers transmitted by exposure to blood and body fluids.

Multidrug-resistant Organisms

Pathogens like MRSA and VRE that have developed the capability to resist standard antimicrobial drugs.

Hypoxemia

A condition in which oxygen levels in the blood decrease, leading to cellular ischemia.

Hypercapnia

A condition in which carbon dioxide remains elevated in the blood due to inability to off-load at the alveoli.

Pyroptosis

Programmed cell death that occurs after a cell is infected by a virus.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS)

A rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19 that can affect children (MIS-C) or adults (MIS-A).