Investigation of pre-delirium and delirium in patients with alcohol withdraw

Introduction: Alcohol withdraw syndrome (AWS) and delirium tremens (DTs) are part of the clinical picture of alcohol dependence (AD). The mechanisms by which these conditions develop are not entirely understood, but there are data suggesting that several factors are largely responsible for the emergence of the AWS and DTs. According to some authors, with the prolongation of the AD and increasing tolerance, the AWS aggravates, somatic and neurovegetative manifestations worsen. Russian authors accept that the degree of clinical manifestations depends on the individual characteristics of the response to ethanol. Materials and methods: The present work is a systematic study of 28 alcohol-dependent patients that developed clinical signs and symptoms of pre-delirium and delirium during alcohol detoxification treatment. Results: The relationship between sex, age, type and duration for abuse, type of alcoholic beverage, and the clinical picture has been analyzed and discussed as well as the criteria for their diagnosis and follow-up. Conclusion: Our analysis of the development and the manifestations of pre-delirium and DTs, during detoxification of AD patients, underlines the protracted course of the illness and the need for multidisciplinary intensive care. Dynamic monitoring of the patients and timely correction of the therapeutic program guarantee the success of the detoxification.