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Time course of alcohol withdrawal symptoms
What is the time course of signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal
Time Course and Associated Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
| Time Course: Onset ∗ /Duration | Signs and Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Early: 6 hr/2 days | Anxiety, tremor, palpitations, nausea, anorexia |
| 6-48 hr/3 days | Seizures |
| 12-48 hr/2 days | Alcoholic hallucinosis (visual, auditory, tactile hallucinations with intact sensorium) |
| Late: 48-96 hr/5 days | Delirium tremens (deficit in awareness and attention (impaired sensorium); often with agitation, tremor, hallucinations, autonomic hyperactivity, and abnormal movements (parkinsonism, chorea, dystonia, myoclonus) and catatonia |
∗ Onset is time since last drink.
Sources
Adapted from Tetrault JM, O’Connor PG. Substance abuse and withdrawal in the critical care setting. Crit Care Clin 24(4):767–788 (Table 2), 2008; Brust JCM: Acute withdrawal: diagnosis and treatment. In Sullivan EV, Pfefferbaum A, editors. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, vol. 125 (3rd series) Alcohol and the Nervous System, Elsevier BV; pp. 123–131. 2014.
