The Acute Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome: Findings and Problems

Summary The acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome includes a whole serifs of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, autonomic, neurological and psychic symptoms. In this study delirium tremens is regarded as the most severe stage of the withdrawal syndrome. In a study of 184 alcoholics (112 with delirium tremens) in which 14 symptoms of the types mentioned above were considered, a general syndrome was identified which could be divided into somatic and psychic subsyndromes. There were significant differences in the percentages of patients with and without delirium tremens who developed particular symptoms. No significant differences were found, however, between those patients in which delirium tremens occurred following alcohol withdrawal and those in which it occurred without prior withdrawal. These findings are in agreement with clinical and experimental observations of the symptoms within the acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome while alcohol intake was still being increased. It is therefore assumed that the syndromes discussed are not dependent solely on alcohol withdrawal but rather are based on a general impairment in the mechanism for adaptation to alcohol.