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Toxicology and Substance Abuse Flashcards

7 cards from real AEMCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Which antidote is used to reverse benzodiazepine overdose?

    Answer: Flumazenil

    Flumazenil is a competitive benzodiazepine receptor antagonist that reverses CNS and respiratory depression caused by benzodiazepine overdose.

  2. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is best treated prehospitally with:

    Answer: 100% oxygen via non-rebreather mask

    100% high-flow oxygen reduces the half-life of carboxyhemoglobin from approximately 4–5 hours to about 60–90 minutes by competing with CO for hemoglobin binding.

  3. A patient with an unknown ingestion has a high anion gap metabolic acidosis, visual disturbances, and elevated osmol gap. Which toxic ingestion is most likely?

    Answer: Methanol

    Methanol is metabolized to formic acid, causing severe high anion gap metabolic acidosis and optic nerve toxicity that can lead to blindness.

  4. Within what time frame after ingestion is activated charcoal most effective for most overdoses?

    Answer: Within 1 hour of ingestion

    Activated charcoal is most effective when given within 1 hour of ingestion to adsorb toxic substances in the GI tract before systemic absorption occurs.

  5. A patient presents with hyperthermia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status, and autonomic instability after starting a new antipsychotic medication. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)

    Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a life-threatening reaction to antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drugs characterized by hyperthermia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status, and autonomic dysfunction developing over days.

  6. Which of the following findings is most consistent with the anticholinergic toxidrome?

    Answer: Dry, flushed skin and urinary retention

    Anticholinergic toxidrome causes dry flushed skin, mydriasis, tachycardia, hyperthermia, and urinary retention — recalled by 'hot as a hare, dry as a bone, red as a beet, blind as a bat, mad as a hatter.'

  7. What acid-base disturbance pattern is classically associated with aspirin (salicylate) overdose?

    Answer: Respiratory alkalosis progressing to metabolic acidosis

    Salicylates initially stimulate the respiratory center causing respiratory alkalosis (hyperventilation), then toxicity progresses to uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation and metabolic acidosis.