A patient is admitted in a comatose state after ingesting five tablets of lorazepam (Ativan) along with four shots of whiskey at a party. What term refers to the intensification of effect that occurs when two CNS depressants are taken together?

A. Tolerance: Tolerance refers to the body’s reduced response to a drug after repeated use, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect. It does not describe the intensified effect seen when two CNS depressants are taken together. B. Agonist: An agonist is a substance that binds to a receptor and produces a biological response. While both alcohol and lorazepam act on GABA receptors, the correct term for their combined intensified effect is synergism, not simply agonism. C. Antagonistic: An antagonistic effect occurs when one drug blocks or reduces the effect of another. In this case, alcohol and lorazepam do not counteract each other but instead enhance each other’s depressant effects. D. Synergistic: The synergistic effect describes when two substances with similar actions are taken together, producing a greater effect than either alone. Combining alcohol and lorazepam leads to dangerous CNS depression, explaining the patient’s comatose state.