Active clinical trials for "Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium"

This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of dexmedetomidine versus placebo, with lorazepam rescue, for the management of severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and alcohol withdrawal delirium (AWD) in critically ill adults. The investigators hypothesize that the integration of dexmedetomidine (Precedex®) with usual therapy for the management of severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and alcohol withdrawal delirium/delirium tremens (AWD) in critically ill adult patients will reduce the time to resolution of AWS/AWD, increase the number of delirium-free and ventilator-free days in the first 28 days of hospitalization, reduce the length of ICU and hospital stays, and improve neurocognitive and quality of life scores on hospital discharge.

The cessation of alcohol consumption of people suffering from alcohol abuse frequently leads to the development of an alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). The ethylic suppression syndrome is defined as the appearance of two or more data of autonomic hyperactivity, nausea, hallucinations and seizures associated with the cessation of alcohol consumption. For its evaluation, the CIWA-Ar scale is used, which guides the treatment based on benzodiazepines but with many adverse effects, so sedatives have been tried, among them dexmedetomidine, an alpha-agonist with action in the locus caeruleus, with variable results. Objectives: The investigators aimed to compare the DEX vs. Diazepam, for moderate disease, applying the CIWA-Ar scale, in participants with severe to moderate AWS. Methodology: 40 participants with CIWA-Ar greater than 10 points, the investigators are collected and randomized into two groups: one under treatment with diazepam (Group Diazepam) and another with dexmedetomidine (Group Dexmedetomidine), until the CIWA-Ar was reduced to less than 10, and adverse effects the investigators also reported. The analysis was done with student t. Results: The average duration of treatment with diazepam was 5.5 days (IC 95 = 6.6-3.8), the average duration of treatment with dexmedetomidine was 3.1 days (95% CI = 4.5-1.7), with a significant difference ( p = 0.0016). In the group with diazepam 60% presented adverse effects and in the group with dexmedetomidine 25% presented them, with a significant difference (p = 0.04). Conclusion: dexmedetomidine was superior to diazepam for the treatment of moderate-severe alcohol withdrawal with fewer adverse effects. KEY WORDS: Alcohol dependence · Alcohol withdrawal syndrome · Dexmedetomidine · Diazepam · Benzodiazepines

The purpose of this study is determine if subjects with alcohol withdrawal who receive oral baclofen, plus standard benzodiazepine therapy, will experience less severe withdrawal symptoms than those who receive placebo plus standard benzodiazepine therapy.Subjects with alcohol withdrawal syndrome(AWS)who receive baclofen plus standard benzodiazepine therapy will experience fewer complications of AWS (as measured by use of additional sedatives, restraints, and/or intensive care unit [ICU] admissions) compared with subjects who receive placebo plus standard benzodiazepine therapy.

A 30 alcohol dependent patients were divided into A: Treatment group and B: Placebo group using simple randomization technique. (Liver function tests) GGT, ALT and AST levels and MCV (Mean corpuscular volume) at admission and 2 weeks later were estimated. Daily withdrawal symptoms were assessed using the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment scale (CIWA-Ar) and DTs by Delirium Observation Screening (DOS) Scale (version 0 - 1). The data collected from the two groups were compared.

Severe acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by agitation, confusion, abnormal heart rhythms and seizures. Typically, clinicians treat the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal with a class of medications known as benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium). These medications have a short duration of activity and require repeated administration, often every hour or less, to reduce the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Many patients suffer complications related to inadequate treatment of alcohol withdrawal (e.g., abnormal heart rhythms, aspiration, seizures) resulting in admission to an intensive care unit and prolonged hospital stay, all of which increase healthcare costs. Although alcohol withdrawal is common, especially among disadvantaged (e.g., homeless) patients, limited funding is available to advance the care of patients suffering from alcohol withdrawal. A safe and effective treatment for severe alcohol withdrawal would benefit patients and our healthcare system. Phenobarbital is an inexpensive, commonly available medication that is typically used to treat seizures. A key advantage of phenobarbital is that its calming effect lasts for a long period of time and it can be given as a 'one-time-dose' intravenously, so that it both prevents and treats withdrawal symptoms and reduces the need for repeated benzodiazepines. Through better symptom control, phenobarbital is expected to reduce the costs and complications of alcohol withdrawal. At present, physicians rarely use phenobarbital for this purpose, and additional research is needed for this medication to become part of routine care in clinical practice. The PHENOMANAL pilot trial will assess safety and whether clinicians can administer a single dose of phenobarbital intravenously, in addition to benzodiazepines, compared to benzodiazepines alone for treating patients with severe alcohol withdrawal. This information will inform the design of a larger clinical trial. For patients, the PHENOMANAL trial has the potential to revolutionize how patients suffering from severe alcohol withdrawal are treated. For society and the healthcare system, phenobarbital is expected to reduce the complications and costs associated with severe alcohol withdrawal.

Our aim is to compare outcomes of patients with benzodiazepine-refractory alcohol withdrawal syndrome who are treated with either a phenobarbital-based or a lorazepam based protocol.