UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Toxicology

Title: Ethanol Withdrawal

Keywords: ethanol, withdrawal, benzodiazepines (PubMed Search)

Posted: 9/18/2007 by Fermin Barrueto, MD (Emailed: 9/20/2007) (Updated: 4/19/2024)
Click here to contact Fermin Barrueto, MD

Ethanol withdrawal can be measure objectively with the CIWA-Ar Scale. It is a prospectively validated tool to measure whether or not a patient is in ethanol withdrawal and can assist with management. Score Treatment <10 Does not require treatment 10-15 Treatment with either oral or intravenous benzodiazepines, outpatient > 15 Intravenous benzodiazepines with likely admission You must also take into account the patient's history, comorbidities and previous history of ethanol withdrawal/delirium tremens. ***The CIWA Score Sheet has been attached to this pearl***

Attachments

0709201013_ciwa-ar.pdf (10 Kb)