A wide variety of drugs
with different physical and chemical properties are included in this category
of Central Nervous System Depressants.
They are grouped together
because they all cause a generalised depression of the central nervous system.
Alcohol, barbiturates, and sedatives are examples of this classification of
drugs.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a drug that can
become addictive. It is one of the most widely used Central Nervous System
depressants.
Alcohol can be produced
synthetically or naturally by fermenting fruit, grain, or vegetables. Alcohol
is usually consumed in the United States in the form of beer, liquor, or wine.
Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol acts as a
depressant on the central nervous system (slows it down) when it (alcohol) is
absorbed into the bloodstream. After absorption into the bloodstream, alcohol
is distributed uniformly to all body fluids.
Alcohol enters the brain
easily and crosses the placental barrier into the fetus in pregnant women.
How fast alcohol is
absorbed into the bloodstream and the body fluids depends on the kind of drink
(beer or sweet wine is absorbed more slowly than dry wine or distilled spirits)
and on the contents of the stomach.
How quickly alcohol is
absorbed and how rapidly it affects the user also depend on whether the stomach
is empty or full. A full stomach slows down both the rate of absorption and the rapidity of effects on the drinker. The effects of alcohol also depend on the
amount of alcohol consumed, the circumstances of consumption (setting), on the
body size, and on the experience of the drinker.
Intensity of Alcohol
Effects
Intensity of Alcohol
Effects
A person who is not used
to consuming alcohol will usually show signs of drinking sooner than someone
who is used to drinking. The conditioned
drinker has learned how to adjust his behavior to the changes alcohol makes in
his behaviour.
Physical reactions to
alcohol range from the person becoming more talkative, appearing slightly
flushed, and becoming somewhat uninhibited in his actions to the individual who
staggers, has blurred vision, and shows obvious signs of drunkenness.
Alcohol consumption causes
some people to become emotional or amorous while other people become aggressive
and hostile.
Effects of Alcohol
General Effects of Alcohol
Very high doses of alcohol
can cause a person to pass out.
If the central nervous
system is slowed down enough, the person may die.
In moderate doses, alcohol
usually reduces a person's ability to perform tasks that require physical
coordination or mental agility, such as driving a car or performing a desk job
well.
Driving a car while under
the influence of alcohol is particularly dangerous.
Long-Term Effects of
Alcohol
The long-term effects of
alcohol can result in physical dependence. An individual can become physically
dependent on alcohol after a few weeks of heavy drinking or over a period of
several years of gradually increased drinking.
Physical dependence is the
point at which withdrawal symptoms are experienced if the drinking stops.
Withdrawal Signs, Symptoms
and Dependence
Withdrawal Signs and
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of
typical withdrawal for the physically dependent person include appetite loss,
nausea, anxiety, sleeplessness, severe agitation and irritability, confusion,
tremors, vomiting, illusions, and hallucinations.
Signs and symptoms of
cases of severe withdrawal include delirium tremors, convulsions, exhaustion,
and, perhaps, cardiovascular collapse.
Psychological Dependence
A person who finds himself
drinking to deal with the stresses and strains of daily living has
become psychologically dependent on alcohol.
The early signs of this
drinking pattern include drinking to relieve boredom or depression; drinking to
escape unpleasant emotional reactions or situations; or drinking to relax just
before going to new social situations.
Treatment
If you come in contact
with a person who is an alcohol abuser, refer him to your local drug abuse
counsellor. If no such person exists in your area, notify the officer in charge.
Early Warning Signs of
Alcoholism
Early warning signs of
alcoholism. A drinking problem usually develops over a period of time. There
are almost always warning signals.
An individual may be on
the way to alcoholism if he:
Is difficult to get along
with when he is drinking.
Drinks because he is
depressed.
Drinks until he is
"dead drunk" at times.
Drinks to calm his nerves.
Can't recall some drinking
episodes.
Hides liquor.
Lies about his drinking.
Neglects to eat when he is
drinking.
Neglects his family when
he is drinking.
Alcohol Related Illness
and General Facts
Alcohol has been related
to a wide range of illnesses. Note these facts:
An alcoholic has twice the
chance of premature death than a nonalcoholic person.
Several forms of liver
disease are associated with alcoholism.
Cirrhosis of the liver is
the third fastest-growing cause of death among males 20 to 40 years of age.
Alcoholics have higher
than normal rates of peptic ulcers, suicide, pneumonia, cancer of the upper
digestive and respiratory tracts, and tuberculosis.
Characteristics of many
heavy drinkers are vitamin deficiency, gastritis, sexual impotence, and
infections.
Alcohol- related
neurological disorders include loss of sensation, loss of memory, and mental
confusion.
Neuropsychiatric
Conditions Related to Alcohol
Other neuropsychiatric
conditions associated with alcohol consumption include:
Alcoholic Hallucinations
Delirium tremens (acute
mental disturbances marked by pain)
Sweating
Tremors
Visual and auditory
hallucinations
Various convulsive
disorders.
Barbiturates and Sedatives
as Central Nervous System Depressants
Barbiturates are a General
Central Nervous System Depressant:
Barbiturates are powerful
sedatives which were introduced in the 1930s. These drugs have legitimate
medicinal uses. They are prescribed by doctors to calm patients and/or induce
sleep.
Their action, like
alcohol, is to slow down the central nervous system. Properly used, the drug
makes the patient feel relaxed, drowsy, and sleepy.
Examples of barbiturates
include the following:
Phenobarbital
Pecobarbital
Pentobarbital
Assorted pills, capsules,
and small orange beads spilt out from a white cardboard box.
If taken incorrectly,
barbiturates can result in physiological and psychological dependence and even
death.
Barbiturates
Users of barbiturates can
easily take a fatal overdose, either intentionally or accidentally, because
excessive use leads to deterioration of a person's problem-solving
ability.
Additionally, increased
use of barbiturates does not lead to increased tolerance of barbiturates.
Because a user is not
thinking clearly and because there is no way to build up a tolerance for
barbiturates, he may take too much or the right amount too soon with tragic
results.
Sedatives
Close-up white sedative
capsules spilt from a clear bottle onto a flat surface.
Included in this category
are drugs which relieve anxiety, tension, and muscle spasms, produce sedation,
and prevent convulsions.
These drugs are marketed
as minor tranquillizers, sedatives, hypnotics (sleep-inducing), or
anticonvulsants (prevent convulsions).
These drugs are safer than
other central nervous depressants, but users can become physically and
psychologically dependent with long use.
Long use of sedatives can
also result in the user experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
Examples of sedatives
include diazepam (Valium®) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium®).
Symptoms of Central
Nervous System Depressant Abuse
Overdose
Characteristics of central
nervous system depressant overdose include:
• Constricted pupils
(initially).
• Fixed and dilated pupils
of the eye (late stages).
• Respirations, slow or
shallow.
• Respiratory acidosis
(increase in hydrogen ion in the body fluids caused by failure of the respiratory
system to eliminate carbon dioxide
Hypotension (abnormally
low blood pressure)
Characteristics of central
nervous system depressant overdose include:
• Constricted pupils
(initially).
• Fixed and dilated pupils
of the eye (late stages).
• Respirations, slow or
shallow.
• Respiratory acidosis
(increase in hydrogen ion in the body fluids caused by failure of the respiratory
system to eliminate carbon dioxide
Respiratory acidosis
Increase in hydrogen ion
in the body fluids caused by failure of the respiratory system to eliminate carbon
dioxide effectively.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal signs and
symptoms are as follows:
• Anxiety or weakness
• Abdominal cramps
• Nausea or vomiting
Signs and symptoms of
withdrawal may begin from six to 24 hours after the last dose of a central nervous system depressant.
Orthostatic Hypotension
Orthostatic Hypotension:
abnormally low blood pressure occurring when an individual gets up suddenly
from a recumbent (lying down, leaning, reclining) position
The blood pressure drops rapidly
when the person stands up; consequently, fainting is a common symptom of this. Central
Nervous System Stimulants
For thousands of years,
people have used stimulants.
The most common stimulants
are the nicotine in tobacco products and the caffeine in coffee, tea, and some
cola beverages.
A blue mug of frothy
coffee next to a can of Red Bull energy drink, both containing stimulants.
Central nervous system
depressants such as those in paragraph 4-3 of this lesson slow down the action
of the body's central nervous system, while central nervous system stimulants
speed up the body's system.
Examples of central
nervous system stimulants include cocaine and amphetamines. Common amphetamines include Dexedrine®,
Benzedrine®, and Methedrine®.
type of hypotension.
• Visual hallucinations
(sees things that aren't there).
• Delirium.
• Seizures
• Hyperthermia (very high
body temperature).
• Cardiovascular collapse.
• Blood pressure drops rapidly
when the person stands up; consequently, fainting is a common symptom of this
type of hypotension.
Other Signs and Symptoms
of Drug Depressant Abuse
Other Signs and Symptoms
Drug Depressant Abuse are as follows:
Visual hallucinations
(sees things that aren't there)
Delirium
Seizures
Hyperthermia (very high
body temperature)
Cardiovascular collapse
Overdose treatment
procedure for Central Nervous System Depressant Abuse is as follows:
Maintain the patient's
airway.
Administer oxygen.
Initiate an IV with normal
saline solution.
Do NOT give the patient
stimulants.
Administer sodium
bicarbonate IV (on doctor's orders) to correct the pH balance and alkalinise
the urine.
Withdrawal Treatment
procedure for Central Nervous System Depressant Abuse is as follows:
Initiate an IV with normal
saline solution.
Administer supportive
measures, as necessary.
Hospitalise the patient.
Symptoms of Stimulant
Abuse
Symptoms of stimulant
abuse are as follows:
Intoxication/Overdose:
Excitement
Paranoia
Tachycardia
Hypertension
Sweating
Hallucinations
Cardiac arrhythmias
Convulsions
Respiratory collapse
Dilated pupils
Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms of
Central Nervous System Stimulant abuse are as follows:
Apathy
Psychomotor depression
Sleep disturbance
Suicidal tendencies
Overdose Treatment of
Central Nervous System Abuse
Overdose Treatment for
Central Nervous System Stimulant Abuse is as follows:
Initiate IV of normal
saline solution.
Administer diazepam
(Valium®) IV for convulsions.
Acidify urine with
ammonium chloride.
Administer chlorpromazine
(Thorazine®) for hypertension.
Withdrawal procedures are
as follows:
Observe the patient in a
controlled environment.
Acidify urine to expedite
urination.
Drugs in the Cannabinoid
class are obtained from a hemp plant, a plant which grows throughout most of
the tropical and temperate zones of the world.
The principal products of
this plant are marijuana and hashish.
Cannabis
Cannabis (marijuana) is a
substance obtained from the flowering tops, leaves, and stems of the hemp
plant. More than 400 compounds from the plant resin have been isolated and
identified from Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica, the hemp plants from which marijuana
and hashish are produced.
Marijuana is made up of
the cut and dried stems, leaves, and tops of the hemp plant. Hashish is
composed of the resinous secretions of the hemp plant, secretions which are
collected, dried, and compressed into balls, cakes, or cookie-like sheets.
Liquid from the hemp plant is processed to make hashish oil.
Symptom of Psychedelics
Hallucinogens
General signs/Symptoms of psychedelic abuse are as follows:
Dilated pupils.
Hallucinations (usually
visual).
Unusual body sensations.
Panic
A woman holding her
temples with a distressed expression, illustrating side effects of stimulants.
Treatment for Psychedelic
Abuse
Psychedelics are not
usually used over long periods of time. Instead, these drugs are generally
taken to provide an occasional "trip," highs of thoughts and feelings
that are not (or cannot be) experienced otherwise except in dreams or at times
of religious jubilation.
In the event that
treatment is needed, try to talk the user back to reality (the talkdown
approach).
If necessary, administer
diazepam (Valium®) should the person be in severe panic.
Signs/Symptoms of
Cannabinoid Abuse are as follows:
Psychomotor impairment.
Dilated pupils.
Tachycardia.
Paranoia.
Treatment for Cannabinoid
Abuse.
Give treatment for the
symptoms that the patient has.
True addiction does not
occur.
Phencyclidine (PCP)
Drugs in this class have
these properties:
• depressant (slows
functions of the body); stimulant (makes bodily functions go faster);
• hallucinogenic (seeing
things that aren't there or believing events happened which didn't happen); and
analgesic properties (pain killing).
The best-known drug of
this class is phencyclidine (PCP). This drug can't properly be classified as a
hallucinogen, a stimulant, or a depressant. Originally, it was sold to
veterinarians to be used as anaesthesia on large animals. There are at least 200
street names for PCP, including "angel dust," "THC,"
"Tic," "dust," and "super weed." PCP is a white crystalline powder which
dissolves in water. It can be smoked, ingested, or injected.
Originally, PCP was
developed as a sedative, general anaesthetic, and analgesic. It worked very well
in clinical testing, but it was found to have unfortunate aftereffects.
Patients coming out of the anaesthetic state experienced symptoms ranging from
mild to severe disorientation, agitation, manic excitation, delirium, and
hallucinations.
As a result, testing of
PCP on humans was discontinued. Today, almost all PCP is made and used
illegally.
Symptoms and Treatment for
Phencyclidine Abuse
Symptoms of Phencyclidine
Abuse
Signs/Symptoms of
Phencyclidine Abuse are as follows:
Sweating
Catatonic muscular
rigidity
Amnesia
Tachycardia (abnormally
fast heartbeat)
Hypertension (high blood
pressure)
Hypersalivation (excessive
secretion of saliva)
Fever
Convulsions
Coma
The Treatment for
Phencyclidine Abuse is as follows:
Protect the patient.
Keep him from hurting
himself.
Support the patient's
vital signs.
Acidify the patient's
urine.
Use suction to remove the
excess saliva in the patient's mouth.
Administer diazepam
(Valium®) for convulsions.
Psilocybin
The signs and symptoms of
Psilocybin are as follows:
This drug is not as potent
as LSD, but the psilocybin user can experience hallucinations similar to those
experienced with LSD.
Psilocybin has been used
in Indian religious rites as far back as pre-Columbian times.
Central Nervous System
Stimulants: LSD and Inhalants
LSD Signs and Symptoms
In general, the LSD
experience consists of changes in perception, thought, mood, and activity.
Perceptual Changes
LSD changes the user's
senses of sight, hearing, touch, body image, and time. Colours seem to intensify
or change shape, and relations appear distorted. Objects seem to pulsate.
Two-dimensional objects
appear to become three-dimensional, and inanimate objects seem to assume
emotional importance. Sometimes he also hears music and voices that are not
there. Food may feel gritty, and its taste may be different.
The user becomes more
sensitive to sound but cannot find the source of the sound. He can hear but not
understand conversations.
LSD Mood Effects
The LSD user may
experience a wide variety of moods. He may burst into tears, laughter, or feel
no emotion at all. Regardless of his emotional state outside, the user may
actually feel completely relaxed and happy.
On the other hand, an LSD
user could feel anxiety, fear, and panic because (for no apparent reason) he
feels alone and cut off from the world.
For this reason, some LSD users make sure that a friend who is not using
LSD will be there to prevent suicidal attempts or dangerous reactions to the
panic.
Diminishing LSD Effects
After some hours,
the effects of LSD begin to wear off.
Waves of the LSD
experience, diminishing in intensity, alternate with periods when the user
feels no effects at all.
Long after the person has
used the drug, he may experience tiredness, tension, and recurrent
hallucinations. The user may experience psychological changes which last for an
indefinite period of time.
For example, those with
neuroses or character disorders will find their condition worsened after using
LSD.
A purple icon of a square
note pinned with a pushpin, containing the word Note.
LSD users report that the
hallucinogenic flashbacks (recurrence of seeing and/or hearing things that are
not there) were very unpleasant experiences.
LSD Warning
Warning--LSD. Some
individuals claim to have used LSD without ill effect; however, there is
growing medical evidence that LSD can cause very serious and often damaging
reactions in many people.
Bizarre behaviour in
public, panic, fear, and homicidal and suicidal urges have been reported.
Psychotic states have been
induced in both emotionally stable and emotionally unstable individuals who
have used LSD.
LSD can produce delayed
psychotic reactions in some individuals.
A pile of various colourful
pills and capsules scattered over a black and white drawing of a human brain.
As mentioned previously,
hallucinations have happened weeks after the person took the drug.
Additionally, there is evidence that LSD can cause genetic damage.
In the opinion of Dr
James L. Goddard, former Commissioner of Food and Drugs, medically unsupervised
use of LSD is like playing "chemical Russian roulette."
Inhalants
A purple icon of a square
note pinned with a pushpin, containing the word Note.
Definition of Inhalants:
Inhalants are mood-changing substances which can enter the body when the user
breathes in the substance's fumes.
Most inhalants are gases
at room temperature or turn into gas when exposed to air. These substances
quickly intoxicate (temporarily lessen a person's control over his physical and
mental powers).
The user breathes the
gaseous substance into his lungs.
Since the lungs have a
large surface area, the gaseous substance is quickly absorbed into the
bloodstream, causing the user to feel the substance's effects very soon.
Signs and Symptoms of
Inhalant Abuse
Signs/Symptoms of Inhalant
Abuse are as follows:
Inhalant users describe
the sensations they feel from inhalants as euphoric (an excessive feeling of
happiness and well-being) and exciting, along with the feeling that something
wonderful is about to happen.
Unfortunately, these
feelings are often accompanied by a sense of reckless abandon and a sense of
being all-powerful, feelings which often lead to impulsive and/or destructive
acts.
Disorientation
Tachycardia
Loss of reflexes
Unconsciousness
Respiratory and/or cardiac
failure
Treatment for Inhalant
Abuse
Treatment procedure for
Inhalant Abuse is as follows:
Support the patient's
vital signs.
Administer oxygen to the
patient.
The list of substances
commonly inhaled changes constantly.
Each generation seems to
add new substances and delete some of the old ones.
Inhalants of the 1960s
were chiefly plastic model glue, nail polish removers, and aerosol sprays.
Today, some of the most
commonly inhaled substances are paint thinners, paint removers, lighter fluids,
dry cleaning fluids, kerosene and other petroleum products, anaesthetic gases,
and cement.
Plastic model glue and
nail polish removers are still used extensively.
Characteristics of
substances chosen by Inhalant Abusers
Substances most likely
chosen by inhalant abusers have these characteristics in common:
Substances can be inhaled
easily into the respiratory tract.
Substances exist in
consumer products which are readily available to the public (can be purchased
in grocery stores, drug stores, paint stores, etc.).
The substance selected acts
either as a stimulant or a depressant on the user's central nervous system.
The substance the user is
inhaling can prove fatal.
Lesson Summary
Substance abuse, whether
it involves alcohol or cocaine, has become a major health problem in society
today. Substance abuse, more commonly called drug abuse, has tragic
consequences; for example, the extremely high rates of alcoholism and the cases
of cocaine abuse among star athletes and entertainers.
Use of drugs is not new in
the history of civilisation. For centuries, people have used a variety of
spirits, herbs, and potions to relieve feelings of sadness, loneliness,
tension, and boredom.
Opium, for example, has
been used for about 5000 years.
How a substance or drug
affects each person depends on several elements:
The amount taken at one
time.
The past drug experience
of the user.
The circumstances in which
the drug is taken (the place, the feelings and the activities of the user, the
presence of other people, the use of alcohol or other drugs at the same time,
etc.).
The manner in which the
drug is taken (inhaled, smoked, injected, ingested).
Understanding Addiction
and Psychological Dependence
Psychological dependence
means that the drug has become so central to the person's thoughts, emotions,
and activities that he needs to continue using amounts of the drug to satisfy a
craving or compulsion for it. It is this
psychological dependence which causes an abuser who has been withdrawn from his
physical dependence to return to drug abuse.
Once the person's body
adjusts to being without the drug, withdrawal symptoms often disappear. In some
cases, there are permanent effects caused by the drug, and these effects do not
disappear.
All substances which can
be abused can cause changes in a person's behaviour, particularly when large
amounts of the substance are improperly used.
Addiction has been defined
as a state of periodic or chronic intoxication produced by repeated consumption
of a drug and involves tolerance, psychological dependence, usually physical
dependence, and an overwhelming compulsion to continue using the drug.
Addiction is detrimental
to both the individual and society.
Habituation has been
defined as a condition which results from repeatedly using the drug.
Opioid Dependence and
Effects
Chronic use may lead to
both physical and psychological dependence. Psychological dependence is the
more serious of the two because the user can still be psychologically dependent
on the drug even after he stops using the drug.
The person who uses the
drug chronically develops tolerance and finds he needs ever-increasing doses to
get the desired feelings.
Opioids are substances
which combine the actions of:
An Analgesic (a painkiller)
A Hypnotic (sleep
producer)
A Euphoriant (good-feeling
producer)
Generally, the shorter the
drug effects last, the shorter and more intense the withdrawal time is.
Depressants and Inhalants
Alcohol is a drug that can
become addictive. Very high doses of alcohol can cause a person to pass out. If
the central nervous system is slowed down enough, the person may die.
Barbiturates are powerful
sedatives which were introduced in the 1930s. These drugs have legitimate
medicinal uses. Users of barbiturates can easily take a fatal overdose, either
intentionally or accidentally, because excessive use leads to deterioration of
a person's problem-solving ability.
Additionally, increased
use of barbiturates does not lead to increased tolerance of barbiturates.
Inhalants are
mood-changing substances which can enter the body when the user breathes in
substance fumes.
The list of substances
commonly inhaled changes constantly. Each generation seems to add new
substances and delete some of the old ones. Inhalants of the 1960s were chiefly
plastic model glue, nail polish removers, and aerosol sprays.
Today, some of the most
commonly inhaled substances are paint thinners, paint removers, lighter fluids,
dry cleaning fluids, kerosene and other petroleum products, anaesthetic gases,
and cement.
Plastic model glue and
nail polish removers are still used extensively.
1. Central Nervous System
(CNS) Depressants
Alcohol:
Absorption &
Distribution: Absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed to all body fluids;
crosses the placental barrier and enters the brain easily. Absorption rate
depends on stomach contents, drink type, body size, and drinking experience.
Effects & Risks: Slows
brain function and physical coordination. Long-term heavy use leads to
physical/psychological dependence, liver disease (cirrhosis), neurological
disorders, peptic ulcers, and increased risk of premature death.
Withdrawal: Symptoms range
from appetite loss, nausea, anxiety, tremors, and hallucinations to severe
delirium tremens, convulsions, and cardiovascular collapse.
Barbiturates &
Sedatives:
Examples: Phenobarbital,
pentobarbital, diazepam (Valium), chlordiazepoxide (Librium).
Function & Risks:
Prescribed to calm patients, induce sleep, or reduce anxiety and seizures.
Carry a high risk of fatal overdose because heavy use impairs problem-solving
abilities and users cannot build tolerance to fatal thresholds.
2. Central Nervous System
(CNS) Stimulants
Examples: Nicotine,
caffeine, cocaine, and amphetamines (Dexedrine, Benzedrine, Methamphetamine).
Effects: Speed up the
body's systems, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, alertness, and physical
energy.
Overdose Symptoms:
Excitement, paranoia, tachycardia, hypertension, sweating, hallucinations,
cardiac arrhythmias, convulsions, and respiratory collapse.
Withdrawal Symptoms:
Apathy, psychomotor depression, sleep disturbance, and suicidal tendencies.
3. Cannabinoids and
Phencyclidine (PCP)
Cannabinoids (Cannabis /
Marijuana / Hashish):
Obtained from the hemp
plant (Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica).
Signs and symptoms include
psychomotor impairment, dilated pupils, tachycardia, and paranoia. True
addiction does not occur.
Phencyclidine (PCP):
Properties: Combines
depressant, stimulant, hallucinogenic, and analgesic properties. Originally
tested as a large-animal anaesthetic and human sedative.
Symptoms of Abuse:
Sweating, catatonic muscular rigidity, amnesia, tachycardia, hypertension,
hypersalivation, fever, convulsions, and coma.
Treatment: Protect the
patient from self-harm, support vital signs, acidify urine, use suction for
excess saliva, and administer diazepam for convulsions.
4. Psychedelics,
Hallucinogens, and LSD
Effects: Alter perception,
thought, mood, and sensory experiences (e.g., distorted time).
Risks: Can induce severe
panic, bizarre public behaviour, prolonged psychotic states, and recurring
flashbacks ("chemical Russian roulette").
Treatment: Use the
"talkdown" approach to return the user to reality; administer
diazepam if the person experiences severe panic.
5. Inhalants
Definition: Mood-changing
gaseous substances or fumes from common consumer products (model glue, paint
thinners, aerosols, cleaning fluids) that enter the body through the lungs.
Effects: Rapid
intoxication, euphoria, reckless abandon, disorientation, tachycardia, loss of
reflexes, unconsciousness, and potential respiratory or cardiac failure.
Treatment: Support vital
signs and administer oxygen.
6. Summary of Emergency
Treatment Protocols
CNS Depressant Overdose:
Maintain the patient's
airway.
Administer oxygen and
initiate a normal saline IV.
Do NOT give stimulants.
Administer sodium
bicarbonate IV (per doctor's orders) to correct pH and alkalinise urine.
CNS Stimulant Overdose:
Initiate a normal saline
IV.
Administer diazepam
(Valium) IV for convulsions.
Acidify urine with
ammonium chloride.
Administer chlorpromazine
(Thorazine) for hypertension.
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