Chapter 65 Alcohol Withdrawal
1 What are alcohol use disorders (AUDs)?
Abuse is defined as being when an individual has adverse socioeconomic or health consequences related to the use of a substance.
Dependence is manifested when a patient has withdrawal symptoms when the substance is discontinued or when larger amounts are required to obtain the same effect.
Addiction is present when the individual has a compulsive craving for the substance. It is important to realize that, at any one time, an individual may be experiencing a combination of abuse, dependence, and/or addiction.
6 What is delirium tremens (DTs)? What is the mortality associated with DTs in the ICU?
Disturbance of consciousness (i.e., reduced clarity of awareness in the environment) with reduced ability to focus, sustain, or shift attention; delirium; confusion; and frank psychosis
Change in cognition (such as memory deficit, disorientation, language disturbance)
Development of a perceptual disturbance that is not better accounted for by a preexisting, established, or evolving dementia