Patients with alcohol use disorder experience frequently alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), which is a potentially life-threatening condition mainly caused by glutamate overactivity. The aim of therapeutic alcohol withdrawal is the entry into a process of complete and lasting abstinence. Therefore preparing withdrawal is crucial to optimize compliance and efficacy of aftercare. Indeed, performing repeated withdrawal per se without any project of subsequent abstinence may be deleterious, at least because of repeated exposure to glutamate neurotoxicity. Managing AWS mainly consists in anticipating severe withdrawal, decreasing the risk of complications, making this experience as comfortable as possible, preventing from long-term benzodiazepine use, and enhancing motivation to aftercare and long-term abstinence. In particular, there are specific guidelines to choose which benzodiazepine administration approach to adopt (i.e. symptom-triggered, fixed schedule or loading dosage) and which other drugs to deliver (e.g. thiamine, folate, magnesium). Specific precautions should be taken in the elderly.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.revmed.2019.02.001 | DOI Listing |
PLOS Glob Public Health
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Busitema University, Mbale, Uganda.
In recent years, Ugandan universities have faced a rising incidence of mental health issues among students, with prevalence rates of mental disorders reaching up to 60% among undergraduates. These challenges significantly impact both academic performance and social interactions. This study aimed to investigate the coping mechanisms among students with mental disorders at Busitema University.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Med
December 2024
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. Electronic address:
Background And Aim: Geospatial analyses integrate location-based sociodemographic data, offering a promising approach to investigate the impact of social determinants on acute pancreatitis outcomes. This study aimed to examine the association of social vulnerability index (SVI) and its constituent 16 attributes in 4 domains (socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing type and transportation), with outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.
Methods: This study included acute pancreatitis patients hospitalized between 1/1/2008 and 12/31/2021 and recorded their demographics and clinical outcomes.
Addict Neurosci
December 2024
Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
The number of opioid overdose deaths has increased over the past several years, mainly driven by an increase in the availability of highly potent synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, in the un-regulated drug supply. Over the last few years, changes in the drug supply, and in particular the availability of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, have made oral use of opioids a more common route of administration. Here, we used a drinking in the dark (DiD) paradigm to model oral fentanyl self-administration using increasing fentanyl concentrations in male and female mice over 5 weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAddict Neurosci
June 2024
Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Dysregulation of the dopamine (DA) system is a hallmark of substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Of the DA receptor subtypes, the DA D2 receptors (D2Rs) play a key role in the reinforcing effects of alcohol. D2Rs are expressed in numerous brain regions associated with the regulation of appetitive behaviors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Emerg Med
December 2024
Department of Medicine, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address:
Background: Biased language in provider documentation of marginalized patient populations has been shown to negatively influence patient management. There has been debate over the use of "homeless" as a descriptor of people experiencing homelessness (PEH), as it is a potentially biased term with negative connotations. This study explores the relationship between the use of the word "homeless" in Emergency Department (ED) provider documentation and admission rates, as well as intravenous (IV) vs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!