Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from mild annoyances like insomnia and trembling to serious consequences like alcohol withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens. Although a history and physical examination are usually enough to diagnose alcohol withdrawal syndrome, other illnesses with similar symptoms may exist.
Patients with a history of many experiences of detoxification are more likely to have withdrawal seizures. If seizures are focused, there is no specific history of recent abstinence from drinking, seizures occur more than 48 hours after the patient’s last drink, or the patient has a fever or trauma history, causes other than alcohol withdrawal should be examined.
A medical ailment known as alcohol withdrawal syndrome and its intensity can vary. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include hallucinations, convulsions, and delirium tremens. Anticonvulsants and benzodiazepines have the finest data basis in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal. Clinical institute withdrawal assessment-alcohol amended can help patients with medical comorbidities avoid mistakes and start the diagnosis to be aware of the underlying issues. For severe withdrawals, evidence supports a symptom-monitored loading method, in which an initial dose is directed by risk factors for difficult withdrawals and subsequent doses is guided by withdrawal severity.
AUD is the third-leading cause of avoidable death in the United States, with over 16 million persons meeting the criteria. In 2016, AUD accounted for around 3 million or 5.3% of all deaths globally. Data indicate that 40% of US-admitted hospital patients suffer from this condition with approximately 500,000 episodes of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) per year. The question arises- can alcohol withdrawal cause seizures? short answer is yes. One study found that 50% of people with AUD will develop AWS when they reduce or discontinue their alcohol consumption. Other substance and opioid use disorders essentially are exacerbated by alcohol use, which contributes to the opioid mortality crisis.
DIAGNOSIS –
Screening patients for alcohol abuse can be eye-opening and effective in helping some patients change their drinking habits before consequences like alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) emerge and help them get answers to the otherwise intimidating questions such as- does alcohol withdrawal cause seizures. Clinicians can provide counselling to patients who engage in harmful drinking practises after completing this assessment.
Between 1 and 2 days after the last drink, the chance of an alcohol withdrawal seizure peaks. Prophylactic anticonvulsants are not usually utilised unless a patient has a known underlying seizure problem.
After all other causes specifically have been checked out, an alcohol pretty withdrawal seizure generally is diagnosed based on a history of repeated occurrences that mostly are temporally connected to quitting or drastically lowering alcohol usage.
Once an definitely alcohol-withdrawal seizure really is diagnosed, the focus shifts to patient safety, reducing the chance of a actually second seizure, and patient education. In 13 percent to 60% of these patients, recurrent seizures kind of have been documented, with the majority occurring within 12 hours of start. Clinical findings basically have no way of predicting who would have a recurrent seizure in the emergency room, basically contrary to popular belief. Other indicators of alcohol withdrawal (such as tachycardia, disorientation, or tremors) may or may not mostly be present, indicating the possibility of a seizure, which is fairly significant.
NOTE- AWS is divided into three or four severity levels (depending on the source) based on the symptoms a patient is experiencing. Stages 1 and 2 of withdrawal are marked by milder symptoms, which may lead a patient who has not yet begun therapy to reintroduce alcohol consumption. Stage 3 is characterised by comparable symptoms that have become more severe and include seizures. In Stage 4, the aforementioned symptoms are combined with DTs. Diaphoresis, fever, nightmares, agitation, global bewilderment, disorientation, visual and auditory hallucinations, and cardiovascular and metabolic problems are the most common symptoms of DTs. Patients who suffer from DTs have been found to have a death rate ranging from 1% to 15%.
HOW ARE ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL SEIZURES TREATED –
Alcohol use disorders, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), are medical abnormalities that develop in people who experience distress or injury as a result of using alcoholic beverages. Approximately half of people with alcoholism will experience clinically significant withdrawal symptoms. In 5% of people who are addicted to alcohol, more severe withdrawal symptoms, such as seizures or delirium tremens (DTs), occur.
In cases of alcohol withdrawal seizures, benzodiazepines are the preferred treatment. They provide cross-tolerance with alcohol and lessen the signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal by acting on the GABA receptor site. All benzodiazepines appear to be equally effective in stopping an alcohol withdrawal seizure; however, lorazepam is the only benzodiazepine that has been shown to reduce seizure recurrence and hospitalisation. The number of people that need to be treated in order to avoid another withdrawal seizure after six hours is on the rise. After a seizure, a patient should be monitored in the hospital for at least 24 hours. When a seizure is suspected to be caused only by alcohol, long-term anticonvulsant therapy is not started.
