Impact of an alcohol withdrawal syndrome practice guideline on surgical patient outcomes

To standardize treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in surgical patients using an AWS practice guideline with a symptom-triggered approach.

Prospective interventional (pilot group) and retrospective (comparison group).

University teaching hospital.

Thirty-eight trauma, orthopedic, and general surgery patients identified at risk for AWS in the pilot group, and 34 patients who were managed using nonstandardized approaches.

At-risk patients in the pilot group were assessed using the AWS Type Indicator. They received lorazepam, clonidine, or haloperidol, based on AWS Type Indicator assessment and AWS practice guideline criteria.

A standardized symptom-triggered approach to managing AWS was expected to decrease the use of benzodiazepines, avoid undertreatment of adrenergic hyperactivity and delirium, decrease the need for sitters and physical restraints, and reduce hospital length of stay. Pilot patients received a mean of 23 mg less benzodiazepine (p=0.01), 0.1 mg more clonidine (p=0.01), and 20 mg less haloperidol (p=0.06) than comparison patients. Pilot patients also required significantly fewer sitter hours (p=0.04) and hours of restraint use (p=0.09) than comparison patients. No significant differences were found between groups for length of stay (p=0.77).

This pilot project suggests that trauma, orthopedic, and general surgery patients at risk for AWS can be safely and effectively managed with a standardized, symptom-triggered approach. Moreover, this approach decreased the amounts of benzodiazepines and haloperidol administered to patients at risk for AWS.