scholarly journals Gamma-hydroxybutyrate abuse: pharmacology and poisoning and withdrawal management

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-26
Author(s):  
Enrico Marinelli ◽  
Renata Beck ◽  
Antonio Malvasi ◽  
Alfredo Fabrizio Lo Faro ◽  
Simona Zaami
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Complex Molecule ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Acute Poisoning ◽  
Deep Coma ◽  
Gamma Hydroxybutyrate

AbstractGamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a central nervous system depressant primarily used as a recreational drug of abuse, but also for the treatment of narcolepsy with cataplexy in adult patients and as an adjuvant for control of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The main aim of this review is to summarise updated knowledge about GHB pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, acute poisoning, and clinical features of GHB withdrawal syndrome, its diagnosis and medical treatment. The most common clinical signs and symptoms of acute poisoning include sleepiness to deep coma, bradycardia, hypotension, and respiratory failure. Therapy is essentially supportive and based on continuous monitoring of vital signs. GHB withdrawal syndrome shares patterns with other withdrawal syndromes such as alcohol withdrawal and is sometimes difficult to distinguish, especially if toxicological tests are GHB-negative or cannot be performed. There are no official detoxification protocols for GHB withdrawal syndrome, but its therapy is based on benzodiazepine. When benzodiazepine alone is not effective, it can be combined with barbiturates or antipsychotics. Information about abuse and distribution of GHB and its precursors/analogues among the general population is still limited. Their prompt identification is therefore crucial in conventional and non-conventional biological matrices, the latter in particular, to clarify all the issues around this complex molecule.

Evaluating the Use of Phenobarbital for the Management of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome in Psychiatric Inpatients

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-480
Author(s):  
Erin Waldee ◽  
Stephanie V. Phan
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatients ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Altered Mental Status ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Appropriate Therapy

Objectives To describe the potential role of phenobarbital as appropriate therapy in the treatment and prevention of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) among medically cleared psychiatric inpatients. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study of adult patients admitted to the psychiatric unit and administered phenobarbital for the treatment or prevention of AWS. Changes in vital signs and signs and symptoms of AWS were observed to assess the safety and efficacy of phenobarbital. The primary outcome was safety of phenobarbital for AWS as measured by change in the respiratory rate (RR). Results A total of 122 patients were included in the study. There were no significant changes in RR among patients who received phenobarbital for AWS. Significant reductions in blood pressure and heart rate were observed. Of patients with documented signs and symptoms of AWS upon admission, 94% had improvement in the signs and symptoms during phenobarbital therapy. Approximately 12% of patients had documented sedation or altered mental status during phenobarbital therapy. No patients required transfer to a medical or critical care unit. Conclusions Phenobarbital was safe, not leading to severe adverse effects or requiring a higher level of care, and efficacious for the prevention and treatment of AWS in this cohort of psychiatric inpatients.

Curative effects of Dhatryadi ghrita bioactive extracts on ethanol withdrawal syndrome in Wistar rats

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashmi Saxena Pal ◽  
Amrita Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Locomotor Activity ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Wistar Rats ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Normal Diet ◽  
Ethanol Withdrawal ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Alcoholic Extract

Background: Alcohol withdrawal syndrome leads to irritability, aggressiveness, body posture and motor abnormalities, sensory hyper reactivity and changes in various enzyme levels. Dhatryadi ghrita penetrates the blood- brain barrier to decrease the cravings for alcohol in this syndrome. Objective: To evaluate the effect of alcoholic extract of Dhatryadi ghrita on alcohol withdrawal syndrome in Wistar rats. Material & Methods: A liquid diet with 7.2%, v/v ethanol was administered to the Wistar rats for 21 days. Control group animals received saline and normal diet. After alcohol withdrawal, rats were examined at 6th and 24th hour for anxiety and hyper locomotor activity as major withdrawal signs. Anxiety due to ethanol withdrawal was tested with the help of elevated plus maze, light and dark models. The hyper locomotor activity was assessed using Actophotometer. The hepatic enzymes level was determined with the help of the Bio-chemical Analyzer. Ghrita extract (100, 200,300 mg/kg, oral) were administered to different groups and diazepam as standard (2 mg/kg, i.p) were administered to the treatment group animals 30 minutes before alcohol withdrawal estimation. Drug treatment was administered 30 minutes before the second observation at the 24th hour. Results: Findings from the present study revealed that Ghrita extract treatment at doses 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg, oral in ethanol-dependent rats had a significant protective effect on signs and symptoms of ethanol withdrawal in alcohol-dependent rats. Conclusion: Dhatryadi extract acts effectively for the treatment of alcohol abstinence syndrome. The extract treat¬ment has beneficial effects on ethanol withdrawal depressive-like behavior in rats.

Treatment of the Acute Alcohol-Withdrawal Syndrome

1958 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lincoln Godfrey ◽  
Martin D. Kissen ◽  
Thomas M. Downs
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

scholarly journals Should the CIWA-Ar be the standard monitoring strategy for alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the intensive care unit?

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa L. Steel ◽  
Shewit P. Giovanni ◽  
Sarah C. Katsandres ◽  
Shawn M. Cohen ◽  
Kevin B. Stephenson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal ◽  
Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Alternative Measure ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Verbal Responses

Abstract Background The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised (CIWA-Ar) is commonly used in hospitals to titrate medications for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), but may be difficult to apply to intensive care unit (ICU) patients who are too sick or otherwise unable to communicate. Objectives To evaluate the frequency of CIWA-Ar monitoring among ICU patients with AWS and variation in CIWA-Ar monitoring across patient demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods The study included all adults admitted to an ICU in 2017 after treatment for AWS in the Emergency Department of an academic hospital that standardly uses the CIWA-Ar to assess AWS severity and response to treatment. Demographic and clinical data, including Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) assessments (an alternative measure of agitation/sedation), were obtained via chart review. Associations between patient characteristics and CIWA-Ar monitoring were tested using logistic regression. Results After treatment for AWS, only 56% (n = 54/97) of ICU patients were evaluated using the CIWA-Ar; 94% of patients had a documented RASS assessment (n = 91/97). Patients were significantly less likely to receive CIWA-Ar monitoring if they were intubated or identified as Black. Conclusions CIWA-Ar monitoring was used inconsistently in ICU patients with AWS and completed less often in those who were intubated or identified as Black. These hypothesis-generating findings raise questions about the utility of the CIWA-Ar in ICU settings. Future studies should assess alternative measures for titrating AWS medications in the ICU that do not require verbal responses from patients and further explore the association of race with AWS monitoring.

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