Alcohol withdrawal syndrome management: Is there anything new?

Rev Med Interne

Hôpitaux universitaires Paris Ouest, Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France; Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France; U 894, Centre Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Inserm, 75014 Paris, France.

Published: June 2019

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.2019.02.001DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

alcohol withdrawal
12
withdrawal syndrome
8
withdrawal
5
alcohol
4
syndrome management
4
management new?
4
new? patients
4
patients alcohol
4
alcohol disorder
4
disorder experience
4

Similar Publications

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 PDF

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.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

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 PDF

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 PDF

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 PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!