scholarly journals Prevention of alcohol withdrawal seizure recurrence and treatment of other alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the emergency department: a rapid review

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Jek-Kahn Koh ◽  
Madeline Malczewska ◽  
Mary M. Doyle ◽  
Jessica Moe
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Withdrawal Symptoms ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Seizure Recurrence ◽  
Outpatient Settings

Abstract Background Patients who experience harms from alcohol and other substance use often seek care in the emergency department (ED). ED visits related to alcohol withdrawal have increased across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. ED clinicians are responsible for risk-stratifying patients under time and resource constraints and must reliably identify those who are safe for outpatient management versus those who require more intensive levels of care. Published guidelines for alcohol withdrawal are largely limited to the primary care and outpatient settings, and do not provide specific guidance for ED use. The purpose of this review was to synthesize published evidence on the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the ED. Methods We conducted a rapid review by searching MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1980 to 2020). We searched for grey literature on Google and hand-searched the conference abstracts of relevant addiction medicine and emergency medicine professional associations (2015 to 2020). We included interventional and observational studies that reported outcomes of clinical interventions aimed at treating alcohol withdrawal syndrome in adults in the ED. Results We identified 13 studies that met inclusion criteria for our review (7 randomized controlled trials and 6 observational studies). Most studies were at high/serious risk of bias. We divided studies based on intervention and summarized evidence narratively. Benzodiazepines decrease alcohol withdrawal seizure recurrence and treat other alcohol withdrawal symptoms, but no clear evidence supports the use of one benzodiazepine over another. It is unclear if symptom-triggered benzodiazepine protocols are effective for use in the ED. More evidence is needed to determine if phenobarbital, with or without benzodiazepines, can be used safely and effectively to treat alcohol withdrawal in the ED. Phenytoin does not have evidence of effectiveness at preventing withdrawal seizures in the ED. Conclusions Few studies have evaluated the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapies for alcohol withdrawal specifically in the ED setting. Benzodiazepines are the most evidence-based treatment for alcohol withdrawal in the ED. Pharmacotherapies that have demonstrated benefit for treatment of alcohol withdrawal in other inpatient and outpatient settings should be evaluated in the ED setting before routine use.

Treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the emergency department: a rapid review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Jek-Kahn Koh ◽  
Madeline Malczewska ◽  
Mary M. Doyle-Waters ◽  
Jessica Moe
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Outpatient Settings

Abstract Background Patients who experience harms from alcohol and other substance use often seek care in the emergency department (ED). Many ED patients with alcohol use disorder will require management of alcohol withdrawal. ED clinicians are responsible for risk-stratifying these patients under time and resource constraints and must reliably identify those who are safe for outpatient management versus those who require more intensive levels of care. Published guidelines for alcohol withdrawal are largely limited to the primary care and outpatient settings, and do not provide specific guidance for ED use. The purpose of this review was to synthesize published evidence on the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome specifically in the emergency department setting. Methods We conducted a rapid review by searching MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1980 to 2020). We also searched for grey literature on Google and hand-searched the conference abstracts of relevant addiction medicine and emergency medicine professional associations (2015 to 2020). We included interventional and observational studies that reported outcomes of clinical interventions aimed at treating alcohol withdrawal syndrome in adults in the ED. Results We identified 13 studies that met inclusion criteria for our review (7 randomized controlled trials and 6 observational studies). Most studies were at high/serious risk of bias. We divided studies based on intervention and summarized evidence narratively. Benzodiazepines decrease alcohol withdrawal seizure recurrence, but no clear evidence supports the use of one benzodiazepine over another. It is unclear if symptom-triggered benzodiazepine protocols are effective for use in the ED. More evidence is needed to determine if phenobarbital, with or without benzodiazepines, can be used safely and effectively to treat alcohol withdrawal in the ED. Phenytoin does not have evidence of effectiveness at preventing withdrawal seizures in the ED. Conclusions Few studies have evaluated the safety and efficacy of pharmacotherapies for alcohol withdrawal specifically in the ED setting. Benzodiazepines are the most evidence-based treatment for alcohol withdrawal in the ED. Pharmacotherapies that have demonstrated benefit for treatment of alcohol withdrawal in other inpatient and outpatient settings need to be evaluated in the ED setting before routine use.

scholarly journals Patient Outcomes Associated With Phenobarbital Use With or Without Benzodiazepines for Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: A Systematic Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (9) ◽  
pp. 607-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drayton A. Hammond ◽  
Jordan M. Rowe ◽  
Adrian Wong ◽  
Tessa L. Wiley ◽  
Kristen C. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Icu Admission

Purpose: Benzodiazepines are the drug of choice for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS); however, phenobarbital is an alternative agent used with or without concomitant benzodiazepine therapy. In this systematic review, we evaluate patient outcomes with phenobarbital for AWS. Methods: Medline, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched from 1950 through February 2017 for controlled trials and observational studies using [“phenobarbital” or “barbiturate”] and [“alcohol withdrawal” or “delirium tremens.”] Risk of bias was assessed using tools recommended by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Results: From 294 nonduplicative articles, 4 controlled trials and 5 observational studies (n = 720) for AWS of any severity were included. Studies were of good quality (n = 2), fair (n = 4), and poor (n = 3). In 6 studies describing phenobarbital without concomitant benzodiazepine therapy, phenobarbital decreased AWS symptoms ( P < .00001) and displayed similar rates of treatment failure versus comparator therapies (38% vs 29%). A study with 2 cohorts showed similar rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (phenobarbital: 16% and 9% vs benzodiazepine: 14%) and hospital length of stay (phenobarbital: 5.85 and 5.30 days vs benzodiazepine: 6.64 days). In 4 studies describing phenobarbital with concomitant benzodiazepine therapy, phenobarbital groups had similar ICU admission rates (8% vs 25%), decreased mechanical ventilation (21.9% vs 47.3%), decreased benzodiazepine requirements by 50% to 90%, and similar ICU and hospital lengths of stay and AWS symptom resolution versus comparator groups. Adverse effects with phenobarbital, including dizziness and drowsiness, rarely occurred. Conclusion: Phenobarbital, with or without concomitant benzodiazepines, may provide similar or improved outcomes when compared with alternative therapies, including benzodiazepines alone.

scholarly journals LO028: Prospective validation of an iOS app to evaluate tremor in patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome

CJEM ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
pp. S39-S39 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Borgundvaag ◽  
S.L. McLeod ◽  
T.E. Dear ◽  
S.M. Carver ◽  
N. Norouzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Research Assistant ◽  
Rater Agreement ◽  
Objective Indicator ◽  
Expert Assessments

Introduction: Ideal management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) incorporates a symptom driven approach, whereby patients are regularly assessed using a standardized scoring system (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised; CIWA-Ar) and treated according to severity. Among the domains assessed by the CIWA-Ar, tremor is the most objective indicator of withdrawal severity, however, the ability of clinicians to reliably quantify tremor is highly dependent on experience. The objective of this study was to prospectively validate an objective, reliable tool to standardize and quantify the severity of alcohol withdrawal tremor using the built-in accelerometer of an iOS application. Methods: A prospective observational study of patients ≥18 years presenting to an academic emergency department in alcohol withdrawal was conducted from Oct 2014 to Aug 2015. Assessments were videotaped by a research assistant and subsequently reviewed by 3 clinical experts, blinded to the primary clinical assessment. Tremor severity was scored using the 8-point CIWA scale (0=no tremor, 7=severe tremor). Accelerometer derived results were compared to expert assessments of each video. Inter-rater agreement was estimated using Cohen’s kappa (k) statistic. Results: 76 patients with 78 tremor recordings were included. Accelerometer derived tremor scores matched exactly with expert assessor scores in 36 (46.2%) cases, within 1 point for 73 (93.6%) cases and differed by ≥ 2 points in 5 (6.4%) cases. The overall kappa for agreement within 1 point for tremor severity was ‘very good’ 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86, 0.99). Conclusion: iOS accelerometer based assessment of the tremor component of the CIWA-Ar score is reliable and has potential to more accurately assess the severity of patients in alcohol withdrawal. We anticipate this resource will be easily disseminated and will impact and improve the care of patients with alcohol withdrawal.

Symptom-triggered therapy for assessment and management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the emergency department short-stay clinical decision unit

2018 ◽  
pp. emermed-2017-206997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Fahmi Ismail ◽  
Kieran Doherty ◽  
Paula Bradshaw ◽  
Iomhar O’Sullivan ◽  
Eugene M Cassidy
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Cumulative Dose ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Short Stay ◽  
Decision Unit ◽  
Clinical Decision Unit ◽  
Oral Diazepam

IntroductionWe previously reported that benzodiazepine detoxification for alcohol withdrawal using symptom-triggered therapy (STT) with oral diazepam reduced length of stay (LOS) and cumulative benzodiazepine dose by comparison with standard fixed-dose regimen. In this study, we aim to describe the feasibility of STT in an emergency department (ED) short-stay clinical decision unit (CDU) setting.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we describe our experience with STT over a full calendar year (2014) in the CDU. A retrospective chart review was conducted and data collection included demographics, clinical details, total cumulative dose of diazepam, receipt of parenteral thiamine, LOS and disposition.Results5% (n=174) of 3222 admissions to CDU required STT. Collapse or seizure (41%, n=71) and alcohol withdrawal (21%, n=37) were the most common reasons recorded for admission to CDU in those who required STT. Median Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score was 25 and 112 patients (64%) had at least one Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol revised measurement ≥10, triggering a dose of diazepam (20 mg). The median cumulative oral diazepam dose was 20 mg while 24 (15%) patients received a cumulative dose of 100 mg or more. Median time for STT was 12 hours (IQR=12, R=1–48). 3% (n=5) of patients required further general hospital admission and median LOS in CDU, was 22 hours (IQR=20, R=1–168).ConclusionSTT is potentially feasible as a rapid and effective approach to managing alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the ED/CDU short-stay inpatient setting where patient LOS is generally less than 24 hours.

scholarly journals LO030: Inter-rater agreement of nurse and clinical expert tremor assessments for patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the emergency department

CJEM ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
pp. S40-S40
Author(s):  
B. Borgundvaag ◽  
S.L. McLeod ◽  
T.E. Dear ◽  
S.M. Carver ◽  
N. Norouzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Rater Agreement ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Severity Scores

Introduction: Of the domains assessed by the CIWA-Ar, tremor is the most objective, and reliable clinical symptom of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Even so, anecdotal evidence suggests that the ability of health care workers to reliably rate tremor severity is highly variable, and there is no high quality, readily available training to teach this competency. Improper evaluation and interpretation of tremor may result in under or over treatment, posing serious risks to patient safety, prolonging emergency department (ED) length of stay, and increasing the likelihood of complications/hospital admission. The objective of this study was to prospectively compare tremor assessment scores assigned by nurses and clinical experts for patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the ED. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted for patients ≥18 years presenting to an academic ED in alcohol withdrawal from Oct 2014 to Aug 2015. Individual tremor assessments were videotaped by a research assistant and subsequently reviewed by 3 clinical experts, blinded to the primary clinical assessment. Tremor severity was scored using the 8-point CIWA scale (0=no tremor, 7=severe tremor). Tremor severity scores assigned in real-time by the nurses were compared to expert assessments of each video. Inter-rater agreement was estimated using Cohen’s kappa (k) statistic. Results: 31 patients with 62 tremor recordings were included. Nurse-derived tremor scores matched exactly with expert assessor scores in 11 (17.7%) cases, within 1 point for 29 (46.8%) cases and differed by ≥ 2 points in 33 (53.3%) cases. The overall kappa for agreement within 1 point for tremor severity was ‘fair’ 0.39 (95% CI: 0.25, 0.53). Conclusion: These results confirm the high variability in the assessment of alcohol withdrawal tremor by health care workers. Future research should focus on ways to improve the accuracy of tremor in alcohol withdrawal patients, and the development and implementation of an educational program to improve the individual competencies of clinical staff in the recognition and treatment of alcohol withdrawal in the ED.

A Review of Phenobarbital for Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heva Saadatmand ◽  
Pochu Ho
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Trauma Surgery ◽  
Admission Rate ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Randomized Controlled

Background: Alcohol use disorder represents a serious health problem worldwide which is increasing in pervasiveness. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a common clinical problem encountered in emergency departments and inpatient settings, including intensive care units. While benzodiazepines are the most widely used class of medication for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, in recent years, there is renewed interest in using phenobarbital, a barbiturate, in the treatment of refractory alcohol withdrawal. Objective: This review provides an overview of phenobarbital in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, as well as clinical outcomes in patients, while also outlining some of the limitations of existing studies in comparing phenobarbital to benzodiazepines. Methods: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases were searched using the terms phenobarbital, barbiturates, and alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Prospective and retrospective trials comparing phenobarbital with benzodiazepines to treat alcohol withdrawal in English were included. Results: Two prospective randomized controlled and eleven retrospective cohort trials were identified. Phenobarbital is safe alone and as an adjunct to benzodiazepine in the emergency department, intensive care units, general medical units and acute trauma surgery service. In a randomized controlled trial, one dose of phenobarbital in the emergency department significantly reduced the intensive care admission rate. There is some evidence that phenobarbital may be effective in the treatment of benzodiazepine-refractory alcohol withdrawal. Conclusion: Although existing knowledge and practice regarding phenobarbital for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal are increasing, there currently remains limited evidence in support of phenobarbital over benzodiazepines in superior efficacy and outcomes.

scholarly journals Systematic Review of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 275-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxu Liu ◽  
Zongshi Qin ◽  
Xiaoming Zhu ◽  
Qin Yao ◽  
Zhishun Liu
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽  
Eligibility Criteria

Background Acupuncture has been used as a potential therapy for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), but evidence for its effects on this condition is limited. Objective To assess the effects and safety of acupuncture for AWS. Data sources Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Chinese Biomedicine Literature (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wan-Fang Database were searched from their inception to August 2016. Study eligibility criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of drug plus acupuncture or acupuncture alone for the treatment of AWS were included. Data collection and analysis Continuous data were expressed as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Dichotomous data were expressed as risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI. Results Eleven RCTs with 875 participants were included. In the acute phase, two trials reported no difference between drug plus acupuncture and drug plus sham acupuncture in the reduction of craving for alcohol; however, two positive trials reported that drug plus acupuncture was superior to drug alone in the alleviation of psychological symptoms. In the protracted phase, one trial reported acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture in reducing the craving for alcohol, one trial reported no difference between acupuncture and drug (disulfiram), and one trial reported acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture for the alleviation of psychological symptoms. Adverse effects were tolerable and not severe. Conclusion There was nosignificant difference between acupuncture (plus drug) and sham acupuncture (plus drug) with respect to the primary outcome measure of craving for alcohol among participants with AWS, and no difference in completion rates (pooled results). There was limited evidence from individual trials that acupuncture may reduce alcohol craving in the protracted phase and help alleviate psychological symptoms; however, given concerns about the quantity and quality of included studies, further large-scale and well-conducted RCTs are needed. Protocol registration PROSPERO CRD42016039862.

Sodium Valproate in the Treatment of the Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

1980 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Lambie ◽  
R. H. Johnson ◽  
M. E. Vijayasenan ◽  
E. A. Whiteside
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Dependence ◽  
Sodium Valproate ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
The Other ◽  
Withdrawal Symptoms ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Electrolyte Replacement

The value of sodium valproate in the management of patients during withdrawal from alcohol dependence has been assessed. Alcoholic inpatients were randomly allocated to two groups — one treated with sodium valproate and the other acting as a control. All patients received multivitamins and fluid and electrolyte replacement, and some received chlormethiazole or other tranquillisers. Treatment with sodium valproate (1200 mg daily) was continued for one week. The occurence of seizures and other withdrawal symptoms (tremulousness, nausea, sweating, disorientation) were noted daily. Forty-nine episodes of withdrawal have been included in the trial — 22 in the sodium valproate group and 27 in the control group. Five patients, all in the control group, had seizures. Other withdrawal symptoms disappeared more quickly in the sodium valproate group even though fewer patients were receiving chlormethiazole.

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