ALCOHOL ABSTENTION

ALCOHOL ABSTTINENCY (alcohol withdrawal syndrome) - a symptomatic complex of somatic, neurological and psychopathological disorders in a patient with alcoholism, resulting from a sudden cessation of drinking or lowering of alcohol doses; The reception of alcohol (hopping) temporarily eliminates or softens the severity of the condition. The symptoms of abstinence depend on the individual's physical and mental characteristics of the patient. The mandatory signs include: tremor , a sense of weakness, sweating, thirst, lack of appetite, anxiety, sleep disorders, an uncontrollable desire for alcoholization.

In the structure of the withdrawal syndrome with alcoholism, you can find a variety of psychopathological disorders; Asthenic (irritable weakness, exhaustion, inability to concentrate attention, decrease in efficiency, abundant vegetative symptoms), affective (anxiety, uncertain fears, unstable ideas of attitude and accusation, low mood, in other cases - outbursts of irritation, mood with a touch of anger and displeasure, possible Hysterical forms of behavior). In severe cases, there are auditory and visual hallucinations that occur when you fall asleep or wake up (your eyes are closed!); The auditory deceptions of perception are manifested in the form of hailsticks by name in the noise of voices. Severe withdrawal symptoms sometimes lead to convulsive seizures.

When treating severe alcohol withdrawal, it should always be remembered about the possibility of developing alcoholic psychosis, especially if it is a somatically weakened patient or it became known that on the eve he suffered a seizure.

In order to detoxify the patient put a cleansing enema, give an absorbent (activated carbon, polyphpane) and inject intravenously an isotonic solution of sodium chloride or a 5% solution with the addition of vitamin B6, ascorbic acid, Relanium, sodium thiosulfate, panangin.

For the normalization of sleep, intravenous phenazepam is administered to 2 mg (or nitrazepam , reladorm - to 15 to 20 mg), to which 12.5 mg of tizercin is added in the case of persistent insomnia. To prevent the development of convulsive syndrome (and if necessary, to increase the effect of sleeping pills), clonazepam up to 2 mg or phenobarbital - up to 0.05 - 0.1 mg is also prescribed internally . Effectively parallel application of drugs nootropic series (piracetam, picamilon, aminalon, encephabol). Patients can seek alcohol to ease their condition (they can be offered by "kind-hearted" neighbors in the ward), so the task of paramedical personnel is to show special vigilance in this regard.