Deck 13: Forensic Toxicology

Question 1

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

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

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Of the following,which is an acid drug?

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A breath test reflects the alcohol concentration in the:

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

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

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

Question 5

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 6

The Reinsch test would NOT be used to detect:

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

Question 7

To analyze blood for alcohol,forensic labs normally use:

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

Question 8

Which of the following,if blood is not available,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 9

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

Question 10

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 11

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 12

The DOT 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 13

Field sobriety tests do NOT include:

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

Question 14

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 15

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

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

Question 16

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 17

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 18

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

Question 19

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

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

Question 20

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 21

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 22

A neutral substance will have a pH closest to:

A) 0
B) 2
C) 5
D) 7

Question 23

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 24

Alcohol is oxidized in the body primarily in:

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

Question 25

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 26

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 27

A breath test may be used to analyze:

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

Question 28

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 29

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 30

Carbon monoxide combines with what component of blood?

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

Question 31

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 32

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 33

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 34

Alcohol is eliminated from the body chemically unchanged in:

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

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) Perished after the fire started.
C) Died before the fire started.
D) Was the arsonist.

Question 36

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

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

Question 37

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 38

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 39

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

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

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

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

Question 42

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 43

Field sobriety tests include psychophysical tests and a breath test.

Question 44

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 45

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

Question 46

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

Question 47

Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in Western countries.

Question 48

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

Question 49

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

Question 50

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

Question 51

The analytical technique widely used for directly measuring the amount of alcohol present in the blood is:

A) Gas chromatography.
B) Thin-layer chromatography.
C) Infrared spectrophotometry.
D) Ultra-violet spectrophotometry.

Question 52

An airtight container best ensures the preservation of blood samples.

Question 53

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 54

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 55

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

Question 56

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

Question 57

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 58

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

Question 59

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

Question 60

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

Question 61

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

Question 62

Lead is not classified as a heavy metal.

Question 63

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

Question 64

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

Question 65

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

Question 66

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

Question 67

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

Question 68

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

Question 69

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 70

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

Question 71

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 72

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

Question 73

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 pH 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
1)Absorption
2)Acid
3)Alveoli
4)Anticoagulant
5)Artery
6)Base
7)Capillary
8)Excretion
9)Fuel cell detector
10)Metabolism
11)Oxidation
12)pH
13)Preservative
14)Toxicologist
15)Vein

Question 74

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 75

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

Question 76

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

Question 77

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

Question 78

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

Question 79

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 80

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