DELIRIUM TREMENS

Course overview

ALCOHOL ABUSE IS A COMMON CONDITION THAT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE IMPAIRMENTS IN SOCIAL FUNCTIONING AND MEDICAL PROBLEMS. AS HIGH AS 20% OF THE POPULATION HAVE BEEN NOTED TO EXHIBIT ALCOHOL ABUSE DURING THEIR LIFESPAN. MORE THAN 50% OF THOSE WITH A HISTORY OF ALCOHOL ABUSE CAN EXHIBIT ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AT DISCONTINUING OR DECREASING THEIR ALCOHOL USE. HOWEVER, ONLY A FEW (3% TO 5%) EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS OF SEVERE ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL WITH PROFOUND CONFUSION, AUTONOMIC HYPERACTIVITY, AND CARDIOVASCULAR COLLAPSE. THIS IS DEFINED AS ALCOHOL WITHDRAWAL DELIRIUM, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS DELIRIUM TREMENS (DT). DELIRIUM TREMENS WAS FIRST RECOGNIZED AS A DISORDER ATTRIBUTED TO EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL ABUSE IN 1813. IT IS NOW COMMONLY KNOWN TO OCCUR AS EARLY AS 48 HOURS AFTER ABRUPT CESSATION OF ALCOHOL IN THOSE WITH CHRONIC ABUSE AND CAN LAST UP TO 5 DAYS. IT HAS AN ANTICIPATED MORTALITY OF UP TO 37% WITHOUT APPROPRIATE TREATMENT. IT IS CRUCIAL TO IDENTIFY EARLY SIGNS OF WITHDRAWAL BECAUSE IT CAN BECOME FATAL. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN DELIRIUM TREMENS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AND HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE FOR IT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH DELIRIUM TREMENS.