Alcohol Withdrawal Flashcards
What is the recommendation for weekly alcohol intake?
14 units per week
If people drink 14 units, how should this be spread over the week?
Should be spread evenly over >3 days
What is ‘harmful drinking’?
Harmful drinking: causes health problems directly related to alcohol (e.g. depression, alcohol-related accidents, acute pancreatitis)
What is alcohol dependence characterised by?
Craving, tolerance, pre-occupation with alcohol and continued drinking in spite of harmful consequences
What diagnostic tool can be used to identify the presence of an alcohol use disorder (AUD)
DSM-V
diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
What is Wernicke’s encephalopathy?
AUD associated with THIAMINE DEFICIENCY
Ocular motility disorders, ataxia and confusion
What is Korsakoff’s psychosis?
amnesia, disorientation + confabulation (where made-up stories will in gaps in memory)
What is the cause of alcohol withdrawal reactions?
Stopping or reducing alcohol intake
What is the pathophysiology behind alcohol withdrawal?
Decreased responsiveness of GABA receptors in the brain
What are the 3 classifications of alcohol withdrawal severity?
Mild
Moderate
Severe/ delerium tremens
When may mild/ moderate symptoms of withdrawal start?
When do they peak?
4-6 hours after the last drink
Peak at 24-36 hours
When do severe symptoms occur?
When do they peak?
24 hours after the last drink
Peak at day 2
When does delerium tremens generally occur?
After 3 days of abstinence/ decreased drinking
Alcohol withdrawal: mild severity
HTN, tachycardia, anorexia, anxiety, insomnia, irritability , headache
FINE TREMOR
Alcohol withdrawal: moderate severity
Worsening mild symptoms PLUS
AGITATION + COARSE TREMOR
