The Medical clinics of North America
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Med. Clin. North Am. · Jul 1997
ReviewPharmacotherapies for alcohol abuse. Withdrawal and treatment.
Pharmacologic management of alcoholism is only one part of the management of both alcohol dependence and withdrawal, which also includes the provision of a calm, quiet environment; reassurance; ongoing reassessment; attention to fluid and electrolyte disorders; treatment of coexisting addictions and common medical, surgical, and psychiatric comorbidities; and referral for ongoing psychosocial and medical treatment. For further discussion of these topics, the reader is referred to previously published sources. A survey of alcoholism treatment programs revealed that although benzodiazepines were the most commonly used drugs, standardized monitoring of patients' withdrawal severity was not common practice, and a significant minority of clinicians were using a variety of other drugs, some not known to prevent or treat the complications of withdrawal. ⋯ For alcohol withdrawal, however, although treatment regimens have only recently been refined, evidence for effective treatment of symptoms and prevention of complications with benzodiazepines has been available for decades. Within the last decade, effective treatments, including naltrexone, have been shown to reduce alcohol intake in alcohol-dependent persons. Given the prevalence and cost of alcohol-related problems, all effective therapies (including pharmacologic treatments) should be considered to treat alcohol abuse and dependence.
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Familiarity with nonpharmacologic approaches to substance abuse treatment is critical for medical practitioners to act effectively to prevent the progression of substance use to medically harmful use, abuse, or dependence; to identify patients with substance use disorders and motivation behavioral changes; and to maximize the likelihood of successful treatment. At their most basic level, these nonpharmacologic approaches involve components of practice that are requisite to the successful management of any medical disorder: fostering an empathic, supportive relationship; routinely evaluating the system or problem area; providing accurate medical information about diagnosis, natural history, and treatment; and following up on identified problems to improve compliance, evaluate the impact of treatment, and modify treatment as indicated. Because of the nature of substance use disorders, their impact on multiple areas of functioning, and the conditioned craving that occurs following repeated substance use, nonpharmacologic treatments can improve outcome, even when effective pharmacologic treatments are also employed. ⋯ Medical practitioners must be able to educate patients about the need for more intensive specialty treatment and about what treatment entails. Medical practitioners must also be able to engage in informed discussions with substance abuse treatment specialists about the specific treatment recommendations made for a patient and the rationale for them. Medical practitioners who are informed about the treatment plans, rationale for treatment, and patient progress can play critical roles in encouraging patients to persist with the often difficult process of treatment.