[Prolonged pharmacologic sleep in the complex treatment of patients with severe forms of alcoholic delirium]

Results of treating 235 patients suffering from grave alcohol delirium complicated with somatic pathology are presented. Use was made of various methods of inducing prolonged drug sleep: by neuroleptics, barbiturates with analgesics sodium gamma-hydroxybutyrate alone or in combination with barbiturates or viadril. The method of using the combination of sodium gamma-hydroxybutyrate with barbiturates or viadril G appeared to be the most effective. It use resulted in a rapid elimination of psychomotor excitation, quick induction of deep sleep, considerable shortening of the psychotic period, rapid normalization of vitally important body functions, and shortening of the duration of the post-delirium asthenization.