Alcohol withdrawal syndrome management: Is there anything new?

G Airagnes, G Ducoutumany, B Laffy-Beaufils, A-L Le Faou, F Limosin

Journal: La Revue de medecine interne 2020;40(6):373-379

PMID: 30853380

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

Patients with alcohol use disorder experience frequently alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), which is a potentially life-threatening condition mainly caused by glutamate overactivity. The aim of therapeutic alcohol withdrawal is the entry into a process of complete and lasting abstinence. Therefore preparing withdrawal is crucial to optimize compliance and efficacy of aftercare. Indeed, performing repeated withdrawal per se without any project of subsequent abstinence may be deleterious, at least because of repeated exposure to glutamate neurotoxicity. Managing AWS mainly consists in anticipating severe withdrawal, decreasing the risk of complications, making this experience as comfortable as possible, preventing from long-term benzodiazepine use, and enhancing motivation to aftercare and long-term abstinence. In particular, there are specific guidelines to choose which benzodiazepine administration approach to adopt (i.e. symptom-triggered, fixed schedule or loading dosage) and which other drugs to deliver (e.g. thiamine, folate, magnesium). Specific precautions should be taken in the elderly.

Address: Hôpitaux universitaires Paris Ouest, Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France; Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France; UMS 011, Population-based Epidemiological Cohorts, Inserm, 94800 Villejuif, France. Electronic address: [email protected].; Hôpitaux universitaires Paris Ouest, Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France; Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France.; Hôpitaux universitaires Paris Ouest, Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France; Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France; UMR-S 1123, Épidémiologie Clinique et Évaluation Économique Appliquées aux Populations Vulnérables (ECEVE), Inserm, 75010 Paris, France.; Hôpitaux universitaires Paris Ouest, Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France; Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France; U 894, Centre Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Inserm, 75014 Paris, France.

DOI: 10.1016/j.revmed.2019.02.001

Link outs

Subscription / membership required

Full Text Sources:

https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0248...

MeSH Terms: Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Ethanol, Humans, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome