Toxicology notes

Cocaine/ crack cocaine

Dangerous rise in body temperature, sweating, tremors, seizures, irregular heartbeats, stoke, confusion, heart attack, bleeding in the brain, death

Tetanus

Deadly nervous system disease that causes violent muscle spasms, responsible for 1 mill deaths per year worldwide, but only 5 deaths per year in US because of vaccinations against it

— as a suicide attempt or to inflict harm or death upon others

Deliberately

Three specific ways in which pesticides may enter your body

Dermal exposure, inhalation, ingestion

Forensic toxicology is the science of — and — drugs and poisons a person may have used for medicinal, recreational, or — purposes

Detecting; identifying; criminal

Methadone

Difficulty breathing, drowsiness, coma, low blood pressure, muscle twitches, blue fingernails and lips

Heroin, codeine, morphine

Difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, coma, spasms of the stomach or intestines, constipation, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, blue fingernails and lips, death

Opium

Difficulty breathing. Low blood pressure, weakness, dizziness, confusion, loss of consciousness, coma, cold clammy skin, small pupils

LSD

Dilated pupils, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, increase in body temp, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, dry mouth, tremors, confusion, distortion of reality, and hallucinations

How much is taken

Dosage

Schedule II

Drugs with high potential as for abuse and addiction, have some medical value with restrictions. EX: PCP, cocaine, amphertamines, most opiates, some barbiturates

Schedule I

Drugs with high potential for abuse and addiction, NO medical value. EX: heroin, LSSD< Ecstasy, marijuana

Schedule III

Drugs with less potential for abuse and addiction, currently accepted for medical use. EX: some barbiturates, codeine, steroids

Schedule V

Drugs with low potential abuse, medical use, lowest potential dependency. EX: some opiates with non- narcotic ingredients

Schedule IV

Drugs with low potential for abuse and addiction, currently acceptable for medical use. EX: tranquilizers like Valium, Xanax, Librium

Frequency and length of exposure

Duration

The field of forensic toxicology has also grown to include drug and alcohol testing for — as wel as testing — for performance- enhancing substances

Employers; athletes

Mescaline

Hallucinations, euphoria, dizziness, vomiting, increased heart rate, dilated pupils, diarrhea, headaches, anxiety, irrationality of thoughts

Toxicologist study the — — theses substances may have on the body

Harmful effects

Amphetamines (speed)

High blood pressure, rapid heart rate, agitation, irregular heartbeats, stroke, seizures, coma, death

Used in gas chambers

Hydrogen cyanide

By means of chemical tests, most controlled substances and common drugs can be —

Identified

— drugs can be defined as drugs with no current accepted medical use in the US

Illegal

Stimulants

Increase feelings of well-being, energy, and alter ness while suppressing appetite. Can be followed by depression. Tend to be highly addictive. Used to treat narcolepsy and A.D.D (Ritalin).also includes nicotine and caffeine

PCP

Increased heart rate and blood pressure, convulsions, sweating, dizziness, numbness, and possibly death from heart failure. Drowsiness, which can lead to accidents. Users sometimes exhibit psychosis

MDMA (ecstasy)

Increased heart rate and blood pressure, muscle cramps, panic attacks, seizures, loss of consciousness, stroke, kidney failure, death

— them through the gastrointestinal system

Ingesting

Exposure to toxins can happen if four ways:

Ingesting, inhaling, injecting, and absorbing

— them into the lungs

Inhaling

— them into the bloodstream

Injecting

— to treat illness or relieve pain

Intentionally

Toxic substances can be classified by how people are exposed to them:

Intentionally, accidentally, deliberately

Other substances in the body

Interactions

Pesticides (DDT, aldrin, dieldrin)

Interfere with the movement or nerve impulses and muscular contractions; anxiety, seizures, twitching, rapid heart beat, muscle weakness, sweating salivation, darrihea, tearing, coma, and death

Ricin

Is lethal in humans in very small quantities; it enters the cells of the body and prevents them from making necessary proteins, causing cell death. Victim dead witching a few hours

Today, foreseeing toxicologists are concerned with the — and — aspects of alcohol, drugs, poisons, and toxins in body fluids

Legal and medical

The — test is a method to detect arsenic and was the — use of toxicology in a jury trail

Marsh; 1st

During the 19th century, physicians — and — developed tests to identify poisons in human tissue. This was the start of the field of forensic toxicology

Mathieu Orfila and Robert Christison

They not always looking for exac chemicals but — of the desired chemicals

Metabolites

Lead

Nausea, abdominal pain, insomnia, headache, weight loss, constipation, anemia, kidney problem, vomiting, blue discoloration along the gum line, seizure, coma, and death

Arsenic is an —, — poison.

Odorless, tasteless

Poisoning causes less then 1/2 of 1% of all homicides; accidental drug — are much more common

Overdose

— in the liver

Oxidized

Toxicologists will often work with — to analyze body fluids from —. They use highly sophisticated instruments, chemical reagents and precise methodologies to determine the presence or absence of specific substance in the sample. They may also be responsible for presenting evidence in —

Pathologists; autopsies; court

A — is any substance used to control pests. Pests may target insects, vegetation, fungi etc. most control the pests by poisoning them

Pesticides

Ingestion (pest)

Pesticides can enter the body through the mouth; this can occur when hands are not properly washed before eating or smoking

Toxicology is the study of

Poisons

There exists a huge range of tests for the detection of certain substances but to conduct all of theses tests to determine the identity of the substance would be time consuming so — — is don't

Presumptive testing

Anabolic steroids

Promote cell and tissue growth and division; poplar with weightlifters, bodybuilders, and other athletes, used to increasing bone mass and body muscle; side effects can include acne, increased body hair, baldness, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, impaired fertility in males, blood clotting, heart attacks, and certain types of cancer. Also called Arnolds, roads, or juice

Hallucinogen

Psychedelic drugs, increase awareness of sensory input, affect the user's perception, thinking, self-awareness, and emotions, diminish control and can cause panic, the effect and intensity f=of response to these drugs caries from person to person

Presumptive screen is — and fairly —

Rapid and inexpensive

Derived from bens of the caster oil plant

Ricin

Oxycodone

Slow, difficult breathing, seizures, dizziness, weakness, loss of consciousness, coma, confusion, tiredness, cold clammy skin and small pupils

Botulism

So deadly that one gram of the crystalline toxin evenly spread out and inhaled could kill more than a mil. Ppl. Acts as a neurotoxin and paralyzes muscles; causes irreversible damage to nerve endings. Extremely deadly in small amounts and causes painful spasms before death. Can be found in contaminated food such as canned vegetables. High hear and acid can kill the bacteria and spores

Poisonings have been documented since 399 B.C. With Greek philosopher— as one of the first victims

Socrates

Anthrax

Spreads to humans from infected animals, can enter the body by inhatliaotn, ingestion, or skin absorption.

He Avery metals have been used for — and —

Suicide and homocides

Also caused by bacteria, cause by clostridium tetani

Tetanus

Of the top eight arrest offenses in the US, drug abuse violations continuously rank near the — of the list

Top

Alcohols

Toxic to the body; can damage the liver, alter behavior, and depress the central nervous system; absorbed through the stomach and intestine/ 18,000 out of 44,000 annual traffics deaths are — related and send over 2 mil people to the hospital

— is the extent to which a substance is poisonous, and if affected by many factors.

Toxicity

Toxicologists also analyze evidence to detriment if alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor in criminal cases, such as — — and — —

Vehicular homicide; sexual assault

Dermal exposure

Wet, dry, or gaseous forms of pesticides can be absorbed through the skin

Inhalation (pesticides)

Whether as dusts, spray mist, or fumes, pesticides can be drawn into your lungs as you breathe

Drug offenders make up more than — fo the federal prison system population and about — % of the population in state prisons

half; 20

Presumptive testing does not positively identify the substance but it does — down the many possibilities so that more specific tests can later be conducted

narrow

Cyanide is rare but potentially deadly poison. It works by making the body unable to use life-sustaining —

oxygen

Over — % of domestic violence disputes are drug related

25

Through much of the 19th century, a — of all criminal cases of poisoning involved absences. One reason for its popularity was simply its availability; it is Te major ingredient in — poison

3rd; rat

— % of child endangerment cases are drug related

81

Withdrawal

A collection of symptoms that a person experiences when, after a period of regular use, the quantity of available substance in the brain is reduces; symptoms and signs of — are often opposite to the main effect of the drug

Tolerance

A condition in which higher doses of a drug are required to produce the same effect experienced during initial use, often associated with physical dependence

— them through the skin

Absorbing

— by overdose or harmful combination

Accidentally

Narcotics

Act to reduce pain by suppressing the central nervous system's ability to relate pain message to the brain, can produce tolerance and withdrawal

Two types of poisoning

Acute and chronic

Involves high doses over short time periods

Acute poisoning

Mercury

Acute poisoning from inhalation causes flu-like symptoms, muscles aches, and stomach upset; chronic poisoning causes irritability, personality changes, headache, memory and balance problems, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, damage to the gums, mouth, and teeth. Long term exposure can cause death

The most common anabolic steroids taken today include —,—,—,—,—, and —depressants

Anaerobic, oxandrin, dianabol, Winstrol, deca- durabolin, and equipoise substances which slow down the normal function of the central nervous system; cause drowsiness and slowed brain activity; relieve anxiety and produce sleep; side effects include slurred speech and loss of coordination. Overdoses slow heart rate and breathing and have the potential to induce comas and cause death.

Caused by Bacillus anthracis, a bacterium that forms spore

Anthrax

Mental compounds such as — — and — are very poisonous

Arsenic, lead, mercury

Poisoning very common by 17th century, as — and — were used to settle disputes

Arsenic; cyanide

An —, also known as a post- mortem examination, may also be needed

Autopsy

What are some examples of depressants

Barbitautes and benzodiazepines, such as Valium, Xanax, and rohypnol (date rape drug)

Commonly tested body fluids include

Blood, urine, vitreous humor. Other substances that may be used include breath, saliva, hair, and stomach contents

Forensic toxicologists also perform scientific tests on bodily fluids and tissue samples to indentify any drugs or chemicals present in the - of victims or suspects

Body

Is the most poisonous biological substance known to humans. Caused by Clostridium botulinum

Botulism

Excreted by -, -, and -

Breath, perspiration, urine

Pesticides

Can irritate the skin, eyes, nose, or mouth. The most important thing to remember is that you should always use causation.. it is classifies into a "toxic category" and given an associated "signal word" that must appear on every product label so that the users are alerted to the acute toxicity

Car exhaust

Carbon monoxide

Involves lower doses over long periods.

Chronic poisoning

Cyanid is contained in — smoke and the combustion products of synthetic materials such as plastics. A common source of cyanide poisoning is — — during the burning of common substances such as rubber, plastic, and silk

Cigarette; smoke inhalation

Example of confirmation tests

Color test, microcrystalline testing, thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography, spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, NAA

If a screen is positive, it need further testing; futher testing is called a —.

Confirmation

— substances are legal drugs whose sale, possession, and use are restricted because of the mind-altering effect of the drugs and the potential for abuse

Controlled

Is describes as having a "bitter aloud" smell, but is doesn't always give of an odor, and not everyone can detect this odor

Cyanide

Methamphetamines

Dangerous rise in body temperature, profuse wearing, confusion, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, dilated pupils, high blood pressure, kidney failure, bleeding in the brain, death