Deck 13: Forensic Toxicology

Question 1

During the period of absorption, the concentration of alcohol in arterial blood is ________ the concentration of alcohol in venous blood.

A)The same as
B)Less than
C)Greater than
D)None of the above

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Analyzing segments of hair for drug content may define the timeline for drug use, dating it back over a period of:

A)Days.
B)Weeks.
C)Years.
D)All of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Blood samples taken for alcohol testing must be taken only with the driver's consent according to:

A)The Fifth Amendment.
B)Schmerber v. California.
C)The Frye standard.
D)Missouri v. McNeely.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

After a blood sample is collected for alcohol testing, a(n)________ is added to stop the blood from clotting.

A)Monochromator
B)Anticoagulant
C)Preservative
D)Fuel cell

Question 5

The toxicologist's capabilities are NOT directly dependent on the input from the:

A)Medical examiner.
B)Police.
C)Case prosecutor.
D)Attending physician.

Question 6

A breath test reflects the alcohol concentration in the:

A)Aorta.
B)Left ventricle.
C)Pulmonary vein.
D)Pulmonary artery.

Question 7

There is a(n)________ relationship between the amount of alcohol in the blood and that in the alveolar breath.

A)Variable
B)Indirect
C)Direct
D)Undetermined

Question 8

A substance with a pH of 8 is likely to be:

A)Water
B)Neutral
C)Acidic
D)Basic

Question 9

Field sobriety tests do NOT include:

A)Walk and turn.
B)Horizontal gaze nystagmus.
C)Performance of sit-ups.
D)One leg stand.

Question 10

Which is NOT a factor in determining the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream?

A)The alcoholic content of the beverage
B)The presence or absence of food in the stomach
C)The amount consumed
D)All of the above are factors

Question 11

To analyze blood for alcohol, forensic labs normally use:

A)TLC.
B)GM/MS.
C)LC.
D)GC.

Question 12

The amount of alcohol absorbed through the stomach walls is ________ the amount of alcohol absorbed through the walls of the small intestine.

A)The same as
B)Less than
C)Greater than
D)None of the above

Question 13

If blood is not available, which of the following can the medical examiner NOT use in order to determine the body's alcohol content to a reasonable degree of accuracy?

A)Urine
B)Cerebrospinal fluid
C)Vitreous humor
D)Brain tissue

Question 14

Which is NOT a widely used screening tool in the toxicology lab?

A)Immunoassay
B)TLC
C)GC-MS
D)None of the above

Question 15

Of the following, which is an acid drug?

A)Aspirin
B)Cocaine
C)Methadone
D)PCP

Question 16

Upon entering the bloodstream, heroin is almost immediately metabolized into:

A)Morphine.
B)Procaine.
C)Opium.
D)Cocaine.

Question 17

In Western countries, what is/are the most heavily abused drug(s)?

A)Tranquilizers
B)Alcohol
C)Barbiturates
D)Amphetamines

Question 18

Of the following, which country has the lowest blood alcohol concentration in determining legal impairment level?

A)Japan
B)Sweden
C)France
D)United States

Question 19

The federal government set the maximum allowable blood alcohol concentration for commercial truck and bus drivers at:

A)0)08%.
B)0)02%.
C)0)05%.
D)0)04%.

Question 20

The Reinsch test would NOT be used to detect:

A)Bismuth.
B)Copper.
C)Mercury.
D)Arsenic.

Question 21

A neutral substance will have a pH closest to:

A)0
B)14
C)5
D)7

Question 22

Alcohol is oxidized in the body primarily in:

A)The stomach.
B)The small intestine.
C)The liver.
D)The lungs.

Question 23

In the case of Schmerber v. California, blood was categorized as being:

A)Direct evidence.
B)Indirect evidence.
C)Testimonial evidence.
D)Nontestimonial evidence.

Question 24

A breath test may be used to analyze:

A)Ethyl alcohol.
B)Marijuana.
C)Barbiturates.
D)All of the above

Question 25

The rate of alcohol absorption on a full stomach is ________ the rate of absorption on an empty stomach.

A)The same as
B)Less than
C)Greater than
D)None of the above

Question 26

Carbon monoxide is toxic because it:

A)Activates killer white blood cells.
B)Destroys red blood cells.
C)Causes platelets to clump.
D)Combines with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT classified as a heavy metal?

A)Lead
B)Arsenic
C)Mercury
D)Thallium

Question 28

Which of the following drugs is NOT found in blood or urine?

A)Morphine
B)Heroin
C)Amphetamine
D)Methadone

Question 29

Blood is drawn from a living suspect involved in an automobile accident. If the specimen is kept unrefrigerated and at a moderately warm temperature, the alcohol concentration can be expected to:

A)Remain unchanged.
B)Increase with time.
C)Decrease with time.
D)Either increase or decrease with time.

Question 30

Field sobriety tests that can be employed to ascertain the degree of an individual's alcohol impairment normally do NOT include the following:

A)Portable, roadside breath tester.
B)Horizontal gaze nystagmus.
C)Gas chromatography.
D)Walk and turn.

Question 31

Alcohol is eliminated from the body chemically unchanged in:

A)Urine.
B)Breath.
C)Perspiration.
D)All of the above

Question 32

For the purpose of extracting the drug out of body tissues, an amphetamine is classified as an:

A)Acid drug.
B)Basic drug.
C)Neutral drug.
D)All of the above

Question 33

The blood alcohol concentration level for being presumed to be legally "under the influence" in most states is:

A)0)04 percent.
B)0)05 percent.
C)0)08 percent.
D)0)10 percent.

Question 34

In forensic toxicology, all positive drug findings must be confirmed by a specific chemical test. The confirmation test of choice is:

A)Ultraviolet spectrophotometry.
B)Gas chromatography.
C)Infrared spectrophotometry.
D)Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Question 35

The presence of high levels of carbon monoxide in the blood of a victim found at the scene of a suspicious fire is proof that the victim:

A)Died elsewhere and was brought to the fire scene after death.
B)Died after the fire started.
C)Died before the fire started.
D)Was the arsonist.

Question 36

The elimination or "burn off" rate of alcohol averages ________ percent w/v per hour.

A)0)10
B)0)15
C)0)015
D)None of the above

Question 37

About 95-98 percent of alcohol is oxidized to what two substances?

A)Carbon dioxide and dehydrogenase
B)Water and acetic acid
C)Acetaldehyde and acetic acid
D)Water and carbon dioxide

Question 38

The concentration of alcohol in an exhaled breath is in direct proportion to that of the blood of the same individual. The ratio of this relationship is closest to:

A)1:10.
B)1:1,000.
C)1:100.
D)1:2,000.

Question 39

Carbon monoxide combines with what component of blood?

A)Carboxyhemoglobin
B)Hemoglobin
C)Oxyhemoglobin
D)White blood cells

Question 40

The DRE program incorporates standardized methods for examining suspects to determine:

A)Whether they are transporting any illegal substances.
B)Whether they are involved in the buying or selling of drugs.
C)Whether they are under the influence of one or more drugs.
D)Whether they have ever taken one or more drugs.

Question 41

Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in Western countries.

Question 42

Liquid chromatography is the most widely used approach for determining alcohol levels in blood.

Question 43

Alcohol tends to be distributed throughout the watery parts of the body.

Question 44

For a longer total time required for complete absorption, the peak blood-alcohol concentration will be lower.

Question 45

The quantity and type of food present in the stomach at the time of drinking does not affect the rate at which alcohol is absorbed.

Question 46

An anticoagulant should be added to inhibit the growth of microorganisms capable of destroying alcohol.

Question 47

The most widespread method for rapidly determining alcohol intoxication is breath testing.

Question 48

Most alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the stomach.

Question 49

Some breath-testing devices for alcohol use ________ light to measure the quantity of alcohol trapped in a chamber.

A)Visible
B)Ultraviolet
C)Infrared
D)Colored

Question 50

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)Alcohol is broken down in the liver by oxidation.
B)Alcohol can be considered a brain depressant.
C)Alcohol is distributed nearly evenly throughout water portions of the body by blood.
D)The mass spectrometer measures the absorption of light by alcohol.

Question 51

An alcoholic disinfectant should be applied to a subject's skin before drawing blood.

Question 52

The drug recognition expert evaluation process can suggest the presence of how many broad categories of drugs?

A)Nine
B)Seven
C)Four
D)Ten

Question 53

Failure to keep the blood refrigerated or to add a preservative may result in a substantial decline in alcohol concentration.

Question 54

Which analytical technique is widely used for directly measuring the amount of alcohol present in the blood?

A)Gas chromatography
B)Thin-layer chromatography
C)Infrared spectrophotometry
D)Ultraviolet spectrophotometry

Question 55

Field sobriety tests include psychophysical tests and a breath test.

Question 56

An airtight container best ensures the preservation of blood samples.

Question 57

A drug recognition expert (DRE)can:

A)Identify street drugs by their appearance.
B)Help a drug user acknowledge his/her habit and suggest ways to become drug-free.
C)Determine whether a person has taken one or more drugs.
D)Advise the toxicologist as to which drug may be impairing an individual.

Question 58

The implied-consent law allows the operator of a motor vehicle on a public highway to refuse a test for alcohol intoxication.

Question 59

The amount of alcohol exhaled in the breath is in indirect proportion to the concentration of alcohol in the blood.

Question 60

When the blood enters the lungs, it contains very little oxygen and a great deal of carbon dioxide.

Question 61

Blood and ________ should be collected from any suspected drug user.

Question 62

Few substances enter and completely leave the body in the same chemical state.

Question 63

Alcohol, marijuana, and ________ account for 90 percent or more of the drugs encountered in a typical toxicology laboratory.

Question 64

A(n)________ should be added to the blood sample to prevent clotting.

Question 65

Arteries carry blood ________ from the heart while veins carry blood toward the heart.

Question 66

Match the word in Column 1 to its definition in Column 2. Each answer can only be used once.

A)Small sacs in the lungs through whose walls air and other vapors are exchanged between the breath and the blood
B)Substance that stops the growth of microorganisms in blood
C)A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart
D)A compound capable of accepting a hydrogen ion (H+)
E)An individual charged with the responsibility of detecting and identifying the presence of drugs and poisons in body fluids, tissues, and organs
F)A compound capable of donating a hydrogen ion (H+)to another compound
G)A blood vessel that transports blood toward the heart
H)A symbol used to express the basicity or acidity of a substance. A value of 7 is neutral; lower values are acidic; higher values basic.
I)Elimination of alcohol from the body in an unchanged state; typically in breath and urine
J)The combination of oxygen with other substances to produce new products
K)A tiny blood vessel that receives blood from arteries and carries it to veins and across whose walls exchange of materials between the blood and the tissues takes place
L)The transformation of a chemical in the body to other chemicals for the purpose of facilitating its elimination from the body
M)A substance that prevents the of clotting of the blood
N)A detector in which a chemical reaction involving alcohol produces electricity
O)The passage of alcohol across the wall of the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream
Absorption

Question 67

The concentration of a drug present in urine is a poor indicator of how extensively an individual's behavior or state is influenced by the drug.

Question 68

A(n)________ detector is a device attached to a breath tester to ensure that the breath sample being measured is alveolar or deep-lung breath.

Question 69

The three stages which occur after a chemical enters the body are absorption, distribution, and ________.

Question 70

Alcohol that is not oxidized is expelled ________ in breath, perspiration, and urine.

Question 71

The current legal measure of drunk driving in the United States is a blood-alcohol concentration of ________ percent weight/volume.

Question 72

A ________ is an individual whose job is to detect and identify drugs and poisons in body fluids, tissues, and organs.

Question 73

The three most widely used screening tests are thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), and liquid chromatography (LC).

Question 74

Breath testing is based on the observation that there is a fixed ratio between the concentration of alcohol in alveolar breath and the concentration of alcohol in the ________.

Question 75

A screening test gives quick insight into the likelihood that a specimen contains a drug substance while a confirmation test identifies a specific drug.

Question 76

________ is the transformation of a chemical in the body to other chemicals to facilitate its elimination from the body.

Question 77

Carbon monoxide in the bloodstream combines with ________, reducing the amount of hemoglobin left to carry oxygen.

Question 78

About 95-98 percent of alcohol is oxidized to water and ________.

Question 79

A fuel cell detector converts alcohol in alveolar breath into ________ acid.

Question 80

Lead is not classified as a heavy metal.