HSSC Staff Nurse - 2015
Pharmacology
Easy
A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of what level is generally considered fatal?
Appeared in: HSSC Staff Nurse - 2015
Explanation
- A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 500 mg/100 ml is well within the range considered fatal for most individuals.
- Medical literature indicates that BAC levels exceeding 400 mg/dL lead to severe central nervous system depression.
- This severe depression results in coma, respiratory failure (arrest), and death, making it a lethal dose.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: A BAC of 80 to 100 mg/100 ml is the legal limit for intoxication in many countries. It causes impaired motor skills and judgment but is not fatal.
- Option B: A BAC of 200 to 250 mg/100 ml causes significant toxicity, marked by slurred speech, ataxia (impaired coordination), and possible amnesia (blackouts), but it is not typically considered a fatal level.
- Option C: A BAC of 300 mg/100 ml is extremely dangerous and can lead to stupor or coma. While death is possible, especially in non-tolerant individuals, levels above 400 mg/100 ml are more definitively associated with fatality.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: Knowing Fatal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
- Nurses must recognize the signs of severe alcohol toxicity (e.g., unresponsiveness, slow or shallow breathing, weak pulse) as a medical emergency requiring immediate life support and intervention.
- Patient assessment should include gathering information about the amount and type of alcohol consumed, time of last drink, and any co-ingestion of other drugs, which can worsen CNS depression.
- What if? If the patient were a chronic, long-term alcoholic, they might exhibit tolerance and appear less intoxicated at a high BAC (e.g., 300-400 mg/dL) than a non-drinker. However, the risk of respiratory depression and death remains just as high, making visual assessment alone unreliable.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the core of the question, which is to determine the fatal level of blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
- This is a factual recall question that requires knowledge of toxicology and the physiological effects of alcohol.
- Analyze the options provided, which represent a spectrum of intoxication from legal impairment to lethal doses.
- Recall or reason through the stages of alcohol intoxication: 80-100 mg/dL is the legal limit for driving impairment; 200-300 mg/dL causes severe confusion and stupor.
- Conclude that the highest levels, above 300-400 mg/dL, are associated with coma and respiratory arrest.
- Select the option that falls within this fatal range, which is 500 mg/100 ml.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Fatal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
- Stem keywords: blood alcohol concentration, BAC, fatal level
- Lead-in keywords: what level
Question ID
Qoq61XvmwS3Q73dahbss5A
Reference Book
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 4227-4229
E6 Pharmacology Katzung 16e p. 621-623
E6 Pathology- ROBBINS & COTRAN PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE 10TH Ed p. 424-426
Practise the full HSSC Staff Nurse - 2015
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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