Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

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.