Will This Hospitalized Patient Develop Severe Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Although severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome (SAWS) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, most at-risk patients will not develop this syndrome. Predicting its occurrence is important because the mortality rate is high when untreated.

Objective

To assess the accuracy and predictive value of symptoms and signs for identifying hospitalized patients at risk of SAWS, defined as delirium tremens, withdrawal seizure, or clinically diagnosed severe withdrawal.

Data sources

MEDLINE and EMBASE (1946-January 2018) were searched for articles investigating symptoms and signs predictive of SAWS in adults. Reference lists of retrieved articles were also searched.

Study selection

Original studies that were included compared symptoms, signs, and risk

SUBMITTER: Wood E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6905615 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature