Clinical and laboratory findings on admission to an alcohol detoxification service

A review of 260 consecutive admissions for alcoholic withdrawal to the Alcohol Detoxification Service of the Los Angeles County--University of Southern California Medical Center shows that 98% of the patients fulfill the criteria for alcoholism as stated by the National Council of Alcoholism Criteria Committee. Previous alcoholic history, current symptoms, physical findings, and laboratory tests indicate frequent multiple organ dysfunction in acute alcohol withdrawal. Hallucinations occurrred in more than 46% of patients with a blood alcohol over 100 mg%. More than 90% of the patients had one or more abnormal laboratory values, and the serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase was the most commonly elevated laboratory test.