Alcohol Abuse Disorder: Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a complex clinical condition frequently encountered in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Patients admitted to the ICU with AWS have an increased hospital and ICU length of stay, a longer duration of mechanical ventilation, higher costs, and increased mortality compared with those admitted without an alcohol-related disorder. Management includes addressing dehydration, nutritional deficits, electrolyte derangements, relief of withdrawal symptoms, and prevention of the progression of symptoms. Symptom-triggered treatment of AWS with gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA) agonists is the cornerstone of therapy. Benzodiazepines (BZDs) have been extensively studied and are often the preferred initial treatment option due to their efficacy and safety profile. However, in recent times, a shift towards multimodal therapy has been observed in management practices.