The Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome - Detox
Posted by Sparrow on July 23rd, 2008
Detoxification from alcohol abuse.
The alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a common management problem in hospital practice for neurologists, psychiatrists and general physicians alike.
Although some patients have mild symptoms and may even be managed in the outpatient setting, others have more severe symptoms or a history of adverse outcomes that requires close inpatient supervision and benzodiazepine therapy.
Many patients with AWS have multiple management issues;
- withdrawal symptoms,
- delirium tremens (DT’s),
- the Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome,
- seizures,
- depression,
- polysubstance abuse,
- electrolyte disturbances and
- liver disease,
These require a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach. Although AWS may be complex, careful evaluation and available treatments should ensure safe detoxification for most patients.
The alcohol withdrawal syndrome; Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 2008;79:854-862, A McKeon, M A Frye, Norman Delanty.
See also;
- 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative
- Brief-TSF can assist people cease alcohol consumption.
- Alcohol Related Brain Injury
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Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America by William L. White |