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Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development

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Managing alcohol withdrawal in the elderly.

K L Kraemer¹, J Conigliaro, R Saitz

¹Center for Research on Healthcare, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.

|July 17, 1999

Summary

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is common in older adults. While observational studies suggest increased complications with age, benzodiazepines are the primary treatment, requiring careful dosing and monitoring in elderly patients.

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Area of Science:

Geriatric Medicine
Addiction Medicine
Pharmacology

Background:

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is prevalent in elderly alcohol-dependent individuals reducing or stopping intake.
Observational data suggest elderly patients experience more frequent adverse functional and cognitive complications during AWS.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the management of AWS in elderly patients.
To discuss the efficacy and safety of pharmacological interventions, particularly benzodiazepines, in this demographic.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on AWS in the elderly.
Analysis of observational data regarding age-related complications and treatment responses.

Main Results:

Elderly patients may experience more severe AWS complications.
Benzodiazepines are the mainstay treatment, with short-acting options preferred for elderly patients to minimize sedation.
Individualized dosing, frequent monitoring, and validated severity measures are crucial for benzodiazepine therapy.

Conclusions:

Most elderly patients with AWS require inpatient care, though some with mild symptoms and good support may be managed outpatient.
Adjunctive medications like beta-blockers, clonidine, carbamazepine, and haloperidol can manage refractory symptoms.
Age should not be a barrier to successful alcohol treatment and rehabilitation for elderly patients.