Alcohol withdrawal

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  • Theory
  • Diagnosis
  • Management
  • Follow up
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Last reviewed: 20 Aug 2025
Last updated: 10 Dec 2024

Summary

განსაზღვრება

ანამნეზი და გასინჯვა

ძირითადი დიაგნოსტიკური ფაქტორები

  • alcohol use
  • change in mental status
  • hallucinations
  • seizures
  • delusions
  • hypertension or hypotension
  • fever or hypothermia
  • hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia
  • features of clinical instability
სრული ტექსტი

სხვა დიაგნოსტიკური ფაქტორები

  • tremor
  • nausea and vomiting
  • anorexia
  • anxiety/restlessness
  • emotional lability
  • insomnia
  • irritability
  • diaphoresis
  • headache
  • fine tremor
  • agitation
  • tachycardia
სრული ტექსტი

რისკფაქტორები

  • history of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and alcohol withdrawal delirium
  • abrupt withdrawal of alcohol
სრული ტექსტი

დიაგნოსტიკური კვლევები

1-ად შესაკვეთი გამოკვლევები

  • BUN and serum creatinine
  • LFTs
  • ethanol concentration
  • electrolyte panel
  • CBC
სრული ტექსტი

გასათვალისწინებელი კვლევები

  • CT of head
  • chest x-ray
  • electroencephalogram (EEG)
  • blood-borne virus screen
სრული ტექსტი

მკურნალობის ალგორითმი

მწვავე

all patients

კონტრიბუტორები

ექსპერტი მრჩევლები

Hong K. Kim, MD, MPH

Associate Professor

Department of Emergency Medicine

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Baltimore

MD

გაფრთხილება:

HKK declares that he has no competing interests.

Nicholas J. Connors, MD

Program Director

HCA Healthcare/Mercer University/Trident Medical Center

Emergency Medicine Residency Program

Charleston

SC

გაფრთხილება:

NJC declares that he has no competing interests.

Revisores

Kinjal Sethuraman, MD, MPH

Associate Director

International Emergency Medicine

Long Island Jewish Hospital

New York

NY

Declarações

KS declares that he has no competing interests.

Paul S. Haber, MD

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Discipline of Medicine

The University of Sydney

Sydney

Australia

Disclosures

PSH is an author of a reference cited in this topic.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Bayard M, McIntyre J, Hill KR, et al. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Am Fam Physician. 2004 Mar 15;69(6):1443-50.Full text  Abstract

American Society of Addiction Medicine. The ASAM clinical practice guideline on alcohol withdrawal management. J Addict Med. 2020 May/Jun;14(3s suppl 1):1-72.Full text  Abstract

Bråthen G, Ben-Menachem E, Brodtkorb E, et al. Chapter 29: alcohol-related seizures. EFNS guidelines of alcohol-related seizures. In: Gilhus NE, Barnes MP, Brainin M, eds. European handbook of neurological management. 2nd ed, v1. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing; 2011:429-36.

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th ed. Text revision. (DSM-5-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2022.

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.

  • Differentials

    • Sympathomimetic toxicity
    • Encephalitis
    • Meningitis
    More Differentials

  • Guidelines

    • The ASAM clinical practice guideline on alcohol withdrawal management
    • Assessment and management of alcohol dependence and withdrawal in the acute hospital
    More Guidelines

  • Calculators

    Alcohol Consumption Screening AUDIT Questionnaire

    More Calculators

  • Patient information

    Alcohol withdrawal

    More Patient information
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