Facts on File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

cigarette and smoke it, which allows absorption through the LUNGS. The short-term health risks of narcotic use include drowsine ...

EPINEPHRINE in the body. This causes immediate changes in the walls of the arteries, causing them to stiffen and narrow. With lo ...

O–R opiates Drugs derived from opium, the dried sap of the Papaver somniferum poppy plant. P. som- niferumis the only one of abo ...

Because numerous products contain organic solvents, preventing inhalant abuse is challenging. The very fact that these products ...

prescription drug abuse The misuse of drugs prescribed for therapeutic purposes. Most prescrip- tion DRUGabuse begins unintentio ...

S sobriety The state of abstinence from ALCOHOL and drugs. Sobriety is a marker of success in SUB- STANCE ABUSE TREATMENT. Indiv ...

drawal symptoms when stopping them. A unique risk of cocaine use is that of SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH due to the drug’s unpredictable ...

as help stabilize mood, reduce cravings for drugs or alcohol, and provide a sense of purpose and routine. Long-Term Outlook Thou ...

T–W tobacco A plant cultivated as a crop in the southern United States and regions around the world with similar climate. In the ...

In the context of substance abuse, tolerance is a factor in the development of DEPENDENCE, in which body biochemistry changes in ...

This section, “Emergency and First Aid,” provides brief and basic instructional information for com- mon health emergencies, dir ...

Rule Two: Self-Protection The natural tendency is to rush to provide assis- tance. But however strong the urge to leap into the ...

First Response The responses and actions of the first person who arrives on the scene of an emergency, commonly called the first ...

minimal response may be both adequate and most appropriate. Should direct contact with body fluids occur, the responder should w ...

site and situation assessment The first action a responder should take when arriving at a situation that requires emergency assi ...

3.Is the person’s HEARTbeating? Feel for a PULSEin the side of the neck, two finger-widths below the notch toward the back of th ...

Burns, Bleeding, Breaks The most common types of injuries that require emergency medical assistance are BURNS, LACERA- TIONS(cut ...

Site and situation assessment The responder should identify what caused the avulsion and if necessary neutralize its ability to ...

If the injury bleeds through the covering mate- rial, add more but do not remove the original covering. Maintain pressure until ...

approaching a person who has burns, are essential for personal protection from bloodborne pathogens as well as to prevent BACTER ...