Use of dexmedetomidine for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in critically ill patients: a retrospective case series.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) continues to be a challenge to manage in the ICU setting, and the ideal pharmacological treatment continues to evolve. Dexmedetomidine is a newer agent approved for short-term sedation in the ICU, but its use in the treatment of AWS has been limited. We report a retrospective case series of ten patients who were identified as receiving dexmedetomidine for AWS as designated by electronic pharmacy records.

I can hear you yet cannot comprehend: a case of pure word deafness.

This report describes a 25-year-old man with acute head trauma and brain damage resulting in pure word deafness. Bilateral temporal lobe pathology was confirmed by brain imaging and functional brain studies. A brief discussion about the difference between pure word deafness and other aphasias, as well as anatomic correlation is provided.