HOSA Forensic Medicine Study Guide: Toxicology and Pharmacology

What is forensic toxicology?

the examination of all aspects of toxicology (the study of drugs and poisons that may have legal implications)

What is postmortem

after death

What is contraband?

in forensic toxicology and drug testing facilities, this refers to suspected controlled substances

What is vitreous humor?

ocular fluid (fluid within the eye) that is often utilized as a sample for testing in postmortem toxicology

What is accuracy?

ability of a measurement to match the value of the quantity measured, correctness

What is Amphetamine? (stimulants)

a controlled substance alone with its analogs, such as methamphetamine that creates an excitatory condition (stimulation), state of wakefulness, and euphoria

What is a hallucinogens?

a psychoactive drug that induces hallucinations or alters sensory experiences

What are opiates? (depressants)

class of narcotic drugs derived from the opium plant, including morphine and codeine

-heroin is produced from morphine

Narcotic

addictive substances that reduces pain, alters mood and behavior, and usually induces sleep or stupor

Cannabinoids

marijuana and parts of the plant Cannibis sativa in which THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the active agent

Phencyclidine (PCP)

a drug originally developed as a surgical anesthetic that was discontinued due to adverse pt. reactions

-abusers of this drug often experience severe psychiatric manifestations

What is the chain of custody?

the documented process the evidence goes through from the point of gathering to the final presentation in court

-intended to assure that there has been no tampering or altering the evidence

What is immunoassays?

tests utilizing antibodies that react with a drug or substance that recognizes the antibody

Antibody

an immunoglobin molecule with specific receptor sires formed in response to aa antigen

What is fluorescence?

the property of producing light when acted upon by radiant energy

Chemiluminescence

the process by which light is emitted as a product of a chemical reaction

What is Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)?

the use of a solvent that travels through a porous medium to separate compounds by their chemical reactivity with the solvent

What is ultraviolet?

area of the light spectrum just past visible violet and before the x-ray region

What are Enhancements?

rendering an impression more visible through physical, photographic, chemical, and digital methods

What is region time?

time required for a substance to travel from the injection port to the detector in a gas or liquid chromatographic system

What is mass spectrometry?

a technique used by toxicologist to identify chemical compositions

-the instrument breaks a chemical down into its ions and accelerates them in a magnetic field that produces a unique spectrum

What is chemical ionization?

a type of mass spectrometry in which a molecule reacts under relatively low energy with a reagent gas rather than fragmenting extensively

What is National Institute of Standards and Technology?

federal agency responsible for setting, approving, and maintaining measurements and material standards in the U.S

What is Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometry (LCMS)

technique that replaces a gas chromatograph with a liquid chromatograph

What is Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS)

a technique for metal analysis utilizing the reduction of a metal in solution to an atom, usually by a flame

What is Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA)

a technique for metal analysis utilizing the characteristics of emitted radiation for the section and quantitation for metals

What is Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

a modern technique for metal analysis that utilizes radio frequency energy for the detection and quantitation of metals

What are Isotopes?

chemical element that exists in alternate forms continuing identical numbers of protons and different numbers of neutrons

What is certification?

official recognition of professional development

What is LD50?

the quantity of a substance that kills 50%of the population

What is GC-MS?

acronym for gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry

What is Gas Chromatography?

gas flowing through a coated tube sports compounds by their size, weight and chemical reactivity with the coating of the tube or column

What is Postmortem Drug Testing?

drug testing with the goal of determining whether drugs were the cause or contributing factor in a death

What does ADME stand for?

Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (the stages in which a drug moves through the body)