2nd Edition

Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Edited By John Brick Copyright 2008
    664 Pages
    by Routledge

    664 Pages
    by Routledge

    The essential newly-expanded reference that needs to be on the desk of every health care professional who encounters substance abusers.

    Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition is the newly-updated classic reference text that provides even more detailed and expanded information on the pharmacological, toxicological, and neuropsychological consequences of alcohol and drug abuse. Eight new chapters of crucial information have been added. Written by leading experts in the fields of medical physiology, psychopharmacology, and neuropsychology, this valuable resource provides the detailed alcohol and drug information health professionals in all fields need to know.

    Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition greatly expands on the expert information provided in the first edition. This text provides reviews of the cardiovascular, neurological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, psychological, and hepatic effects of commonly abused drugs. The book also provides in-depth explanations of the mechanisms by which these psychoactive drugs exert their biobehavioral effects as well as current thinking about—and definitions of—abuse, dependence, and alcohol/drug use.

    The Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition includes vital information on:

    • alcohol, including definitions of alcohol use, abuse, and dependence
    • the relationship between alcohol and accidental injuries, alcohol’s effect on skeletal and major organ systems, and its effect on risk factors for certain cancers
    • effects of alcohol and other drugs on neuropsychological function
    • the effects of alcohol on neuron signaling, neurotransmitter function, and alcoholic brain damage and cognitive dysfunction
    • fetal alcohol effects
    • chronic effects of marijuana use on psychological and physical health, including a fair and balanced discussion of the medical marijuana issue
    • the consequences of opiate abuse and methadone pharmacotherapy, including a comparison of the effects of methadone and heroin on organ systems
    • cocaine’s history, the various forms of the drug, and the adverse effects of cocaine on cardiovascular, neurologic, and pulmonary systems
    • the medical consequences of inhalants ranging from benzene to xylene
    • the prenatal effects of nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, and opiates
    • terminology that appears in the current literature on alcohol
    New topics in the Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition include chapters discussing:
    • chemical dependency in psychiatric patients
    • medical consequences of steroids
    • OTC medications
    • hallucinogens
    • health effects of tobacco, nicotine, and exposure to tobacco smoke
    • interactions of alcohol with other drugs and other medications
    • periodontal effects of alcohol and drug abuse in the oral cavity
    • imaging studies of structural brain changes
    The Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Second Edition is an invaluable resource for physicians, scientists, nurses, psychologists, and alcohol and drug counselors.

    About the Editor. Contributors. Erickson, Foreword. Preface. Brick, Characteristics of Alcohol: Chemistry, Use, and Abuse. Brick, Medical Consequences of Alcohol Abuse. Scolaro Moser, Frantz, The Neuropsychological Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Crews, Effects of Alcohol Abuse on the Brain. Wass, Mattson, Riley, Neuroanatomical and Neurobehavioral Effects of Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Budney, Moore, Vandrey, Health Consequences of Marijuana Use. McHugh, Kreek, The Medical Consequences of Opiate Abuse and Addiction and Methadone Pharmacotherapy. Schneir, Manoguerra, Medical Consequences of the Use of Cocaine and Other Stimulants.  Howell, Coles, Kable, The Medical and Developmental Consequences of Prenatal Drug Exposure. Kolecki, Shih, Inhalant Abuse.

    Biography

    John Brick

    "The book is unique in its orientation toward the health effects of substance abuse . . . the extensive information compiled in this work will be valuable to both researchers and medical clinicians working with people with substance use problems in any setting."

    – Beth Sproule, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, May/June 2009, Vol. 62, No. 3