Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research
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Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. · Apr 2013
ReviewPrevention and therapy of alcohol withdrawal on intensive care units: systematic review of controlled trials.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) occurs in 16 to 31% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients after cessation of sedation. There exist many preventive and therapeutic strategies, but no systematic review (SR) has been published on this topic so far. We aimed to perform a synopsis of all controlled trials of AWS prevention and therapy in ICU published between 1971 and 30 March 2011 following the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses" (PRISMA) statement. ⋯ Based on the evidence of this SR, EtOH or BZO can be advised for AWS prevention on ICU patients with alcohol dependence, but EtOH is not allowed for therapy of AWS. AWS therapy should be standardized and based on symptom-triggered BZO administration. Alpha2-agonists and haloperidol should be added for autonomic and productive psychotic symptoms.